First Impressions
by That Fragile Capricorn
Summary: Pride and Prejudice set present-day. That's all, really. Some characters have been tweaked a little, but the core story is the same!
1. The First Day

"So, Liz, ready for another year of school?" a lovely blond girl (okay, not lovely, more like _stunning_. Try model-in-training) asked her almost-as-lovely fraternal twin sister.

The brunette sighed, eyelids hiding sky-blue eyes. "Don't even _joke_ like that, Jane." It wasn't even seven am yet, and it wasn't difficult to guess which of the twins was and wasn't a morning person.

The two sophomores were sitting at their kitchen table, eating breakfast alone. Their younger sister, Mary, who was a freshman, was busy going over her school checklist in the other room.

"I wasn't really joking . . . I can't wait to see everyone!"

"You and I are only friends with Charlotte . . ." Liz drifted off.

"Well, yes, but there will be new people! Remember the people who moved in the same neighborhood as her?"

"Oh yes," Liz snickered to herself. "Mom hasn't shut up, ever since Ms. Long caught them moving in after weeks of spying. What was it- _three_ teenage boys, two girls?"

"That sounds about right. How much do you want to bet that when we get home, she'll ask us all about them?"

Liz rolled her eyes. "You know I never bet on a sure thing. But she's got to be _livid_, that her tennis buddy got to see the new kids before she did. And Ms. Long doesn't even have 'eligible' daughters!" Liz gasped sarcastically, using finger quotes on "eligible," her mother's word, not hers.

"Marie King's her niece though, right? But Mrs. Long's not a matchmaking enthusiast like Mom. You'd think Mom would be upset about the Lucases living so close, though, what with Charlotte and Maria."

"You know Mom," Liz once again rolled her eyes. She's sorta big on that. "She's not worried about Charlotte or Maria, because she doesn't think they can compete with the _beauty_ of the family."

"Stop it, Lizzie! You _know_ I don't like to be called that!"

"It's true though, Janey," Liz smirked. "You're a regular Adonis . . . ette. Though, now that we've brought up mythology, I could call you a regular Helen, and you'd get the reference."

"That I would," her sister said with amusement. "If you'd said Helen first, it might've taken me a while."

"So my babbling makes sense for once! _Yes!_" Liz pumped her fist in the air.

Before the girls could continue their conversation, a dark brunette came running into the room. "Guys! Thirty minutes until final bell! We have to go!" Her brown eyes were widened in alarm- eyes that matched those of the "beauty," Jane.

Liz looked at her younger sister in amusement. "Tell that to Marie King."

Mary Bennet looked at her sister with confusion before she elaborated.

"She's our ride to school remember? I'm pretty sure we went over this . . ."

_Honk!_ The sound of Marie King's horn stopped Mary from saying whatever she was going to say. "Oh, thank goodness!" she said in response to the interruption.

The twins lifted their mostly empty bags (the first day was when you got your supply lists, so everyone just brought paper and a pen), while Mary hefted her heavy bookbag to her back. Her older sisters had told her countless times that less is better, and that she'd want the extra space to carry her books home, but she didn't listen. The younger Bennet was determined to be prepared for any situation she might face. Liz wondered if she had a first-aid kit and a parachute as well, but didn't actually ask, because she was afraid her sister would reply affirmatively.

Liz sat in the front of her neighbor's Jeep while Jane tried to keep Mary calm in the back seat. Marie King Lewis grinned at the sophomore beside her. "Sorry I'm late- I had to make a Starbucks run to be sane enough for social interaction."

"No worries, it's totally understood," Liz said quickly, ignoring the grumbling that came from behind her.

Starbucks or not, Marie King was not enough of a morning person to keep up a conversation, and neither was Liz, for that matter. Jane wasn't much of a talker, and neither was Mary. So, apart from the music on the radio, the ride was silent.

* * *

Once the car was parked, Mary shot out of it, running to her first class as fast as the weight on her back would allow.

The rest of the girls left the car at a more leisurely rate. They still had a good fifteen minutes before the first bell. The Bennets parted ways with the senior, walking up to the quad, hoping to find a friend there.

"Janey! Lizzie!" a voice came out of nowhere the moment the twins stepped into the grassy area known as the quad.

They looked at each other with amusement as the source of the voice appeared. Charlotte Lucas came bounding over, hugging each twin in turn. She lifted her glasses, pretending to peer at them with her slate-colored eyes.

"You've both grown so much!" she exclaimed in a granny sort of voice.

Liz frowned at her best friend jokingly. "You know we haven't grown since 5th grade . . . You're just saying that to brag about how you're a whole foot taller than us both."

"That's true," Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I just _adore_ being 5'11. Forget the fact that the two of you are tiny and adorable! Just let me keep on bragging!"

"Speaking of bragging," Jane cut in shyly. "I expected you to be talking _all _about the new kids on your street."

"Ah! The Bingleys and Darcy!"

"The Bingleys and Darcy?"

"Did I stutter? Yeah, I don't know the whole story, but I know that the Darcy kid is an orphan. He's a junior, and living with the Bingleys until he's old enough to live on his own, apparently."

"Alright," Liz said, locking arms with Charlotte, as Charlotte twined her other arm with Jane's. "You need to give us the lowdown on each and every one of them. Youngest to oldest. Starting . . . now! Go!"

Laughing, Charlotte thought. "Okay, first would be miss Caroline Bingley, the sophomore. She's got this scene haircut and wears all the makeup, but something about her screams wannabe."

"If you wannabe my lover," Liz sang quickly and quietly- a kneejerk reaction to hearing the word "Wannabe."

"Next," Charlotte continued as if she hadn't heard her (though she had), "Charlie Bingley, junior. He's a cutie- big blue eyes and longish golden brown hair . . . You know the style, where the bangs are long enough to cover the eyes, but they're pushed to the side?"

Her audience nodded obediently.

"Like that. And the whitest teeth I've ever seen! I'm only going into detail for your benefit, of course."

"Of course," Jane murmured, catching Liz's eye with shared amusement.

"Then, of course, our Darcy. His first name is William, but it doesn't really fit, not like his last name. He's got the hair like Charles, except really dark brown and his bangs go all the way past his nose. I saw when he was bending down. Normally, they cover one eye. They're a really pretty blue, speaking of. He's got this jaw line to _die_ for." (Charlotte had a thing for masculine jaws and chins . . .)

"Wow, do you have a thing for this Darcy kid?" Liz asked when Charlotte didn't stop.

"No! Trust me. He's gorgeous, but untouchable. Like Adonis."

Liz and Jane shared another look, thinking about their earlier conversation with a smile.

"You just have to be prepared for the gorgeousness. It'll hit you. Like a ton of gorgeous bricks. Gorgeous, Godlike bricks."

"Okay, we get it," Liz laughed.

"No you really don't . . . but moving on. Next in line is Louisa Bingley, a senior. Charlie and Caroline's older sister. She's really pretty- same blue eyes as Caroline and Charlie, but her hair is pretty much black. Kinda wavy, in a nice, normal haircut, not like Caroline's weird layers . . .

"And last is their cousin, who's an orphan also, but he's been living with them all his life. He's got the same haircut as the other two boys, in the same color as Louisa's, with the same eyes as all of the Bingley's. He looks like a softer version of Darcy . . . way less intense. He's the only one who actually talked to me. His name is Hurst, which is kinda weird, and he's a senior. And that's it!"

"Finally!" Liz grinned.

Charlotte released an arm to sock her friend in the shoulder. "You're the one who _begged_ for a thorough description!"

"Begged isn't exactly how I'd put it . . . but if it makes you feel better."

"It does. Thanks. Oh!" The sudden shout made the twins wince. "There's Hurst now! Wanna be introduced?"

"Yes!" they said in unison, following Charlotte's gaze to a tree, underneath which 5 people were sitting. Countless girls were gazing wistfully at the male portion of the party, but the whole group gave off an aura of **DO NOT APPROACH.**

Which is why Liz balked slightly.

"Come on, silly!" Charlotte sighed. She looked back over at the group, catching Hurst's eye. He grinned at her, with a curious spark in his eye. He then waved them over.

"See! We got a special invitation," Charlotte continued. "Now quick, before the bell rings!"

Liz almost pointed out that they still had at least ten minutes, but decided that it would annoy her friend, and kept quiet. She always tried her hardest to keep from instigating fights in the morning, when she was far too tired to fight back properly.

"Hurst! I want you to meet my two best friends- Jane and Liz Bennet. They're twins, sophomores like me," Charlotte said to the cute boy who'd stood at their approach. He gave them a little half-smile.

"Hi," he said with a special two finger wave. It seemed so funny to Liz, that he was too lazy to wave with all five fingers, that she decided to tease him.

"Nice ta meetcha," Liz grinned, flashing him the peace sign (another two-fingered gesture). He looked bemused for a moment, and then looked back to his own hand as realization dawned on him. He chuckled then.

"So . . ." Charlotte said, breaking the awkward silence. The rest of Hurst's 'people' were staring at the three girls who had the audacity to invade their general area. Charlotte started a conversation with Hurst to fill the awkward silence- but there wasn't any substance to what they were saying.

Liz took the time to scrutinize the group. Right next to Hurst's feet was what must have Luisa, who was just as pretty as Charlotte had described. When she noticed Liz's gaze, she nodded slightly in her direction. Liz gave her a distracted smile before moving on.

Ah. Caroline. Her hair was a mix of bleached white-blonde and black layers, with pale pink thrown in on one side. Her lids-halfway up to her brows- were solid black, with a thick line going under her eyes. The rest of her face was pale and bare . . . and flawless. No zits. Nothing. Liz hated her already . . . The contemptuous smirk on the girl's face did nothing to improve Liz's opinion of her.

Then Charles, who was now standing, introducing himself to Jane. He was just as attractive as Liz had heard, and Liz was fairly sure she sensed some sort of connection between him and Jane. Jane was doing the whole shy-girl routine: blushing and smiling slightly, and even though she didn't know Charlie, she could tell he was smitten. Liz couldn't stop the grin from appearing on her face.

Last was Darcy. And when Charlotte said something about an Adonis ton of bricks . . . she wasn't kidding. Liz had to remind herself not to gasp, he was _that_ attractive. And also, like Charlotte said, _intense_. Not to mention, he just had an aura about him . . . something that just told her that he wasn't some immature teenager. He looked light-years beyond his peers. He seemed so much . . . bigger than them all. Not in size, just in pure . . . persona? She didn't know how to put it in words.

It helped that she was extremely attracted to his clothing style as well. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a red and white plaid button down (with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows) over it and random silver necklaces. He was wearing black Chucks (which made Liz want to swoon because he was the first guy she'd met in real life who actually wore them) and dark wash jeans- fairly tight but not skinny. Just right.

He looked up and caught her eye. If she thought he was intense before, she had no idea how to describe actual eye contact with the guy. His icy blue eyes seemed to freeze her- she was rooted to the spot, completely unable to do anything but gaze nervously back at him. Finally, he looked away when Caroline nudged him, and Liz couldn't help herself from breathing a quick sigh of relief.

She immersed herself in Hurst's conversation with Charlotte, trying not to look back at Darcy. She couldn't explain how, but she was immensely attracted to the guy, and he hadn't even opened his mouth yet.


	2. A Lesson in Egotism

On her way to class before the bell rang, Liz stopped in the bathroom. She didn't know anyone in her first class, and she wanted to come in with the last rush of students- the fewer seats to choose from, the better. It seemed less awkward that way.

She was applying mascara in the mirror right by the open doorway (she'd only been able to put on eyeliner that morning) when she heard what she thought was a familiar voice. She wasn't sure though, so she probably didn't know the person well.

"Darcy, why were you being such an ass just then? I mean, you could've introduced yourself or _something_."

Darcy. So the male voice could either be Charlie or Hurst. Liz decided to hide out and take a listen. She was desperate to know what kind of thoughts went on in that pretty little head of his. She pressed herself in the corner, out of eyesight from the hallway.

"Oh, come on Charlie. Look around. The people at this school aren't anything special; I mean, why make an effort? It won't be long before we're on our way out of here, going to college."

His voice wasn't quite as deep as she expected. She expected a really low, gravelly bass. It was higher than that definitely, but not in the Justin Timberlake range. It was actually exceptionally average.

She continued to muse. Hmm. That sounded a bit like arrogance? Probably some private school brat not used to the ways of public schooling, thinking they were all beneath him, even though the school was one of the best in the country.

"Are you kidding me? Every single person we've met has been nice, and _every _girl has been ridiculously pretty."

Darcy snorted. "_You_ were talking to the only pretty one."

Liz couldn't help but feel a rush of pride for her sister. Jane was so shy and despised compliments so much that her twin was proud enough for both of them, for she loved her sister and loved to hear good things about her.

"True," Charlie said dreamily. "Darcy, I think she's the most beautiful girl I've _ever_ seen." He paused, as if in thought. "But what about her twin? She was nearly as beautiful."

Liz felt a warm glow fill her. She didn't hear people compliment her often (it was always the "beauty" of the family) so she always appreciated it when it happened.

"What, Liz? No, I don't think she's very attractive. . . Definitely not pretty enough for _me_. Besides, she seemed a little ditzy to me. Not all there, if you know what I mean."

Charlie listened with a sigh, finally saying, "Alright, well let's get to class before the bell rings."

Liz sat on the floor, not even stopping to think how dirty it could be. So she wasn't good enough for Darcy . . . too ditzy. Not "all there." Not attractive.

She thought for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly she'd done to make him think she was ditzy. There was the peace sign to Hurst, the thoughtless smile to Louisa, and the staring at him. When she thought about it . . . she did look a little ditzy.

But she was still insulted that he thought she wasn't good enough, pretty enough for him. She turned to stare into the mirror. She wasn't _that_ ugly, was she? She was startled by the minute bell and stood quickly. Her class wasn't far, but still- it would've _sucked_ to start off the year with a tardy.

She made it to her Precal class, to find Hurst Bingley sitting next to an empty seat (miraculous, considering his attractiveness). She sat next to him grinning, just as the final bell rang.

* * *

Luckily, Liz had lunch with both Jane _and _Charlotte, so they all sat under a tree together, discussing the new students.

"He really said that I was the most beautiful girl he's ever seen?" Jane asked, blushing.

"I still can't believe that Darcy said you weren't _pretty_ enough for him!" Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. "He's such a freaking _ego_."

"I wouldn't have minded his ego," Liz shrugged, "if he hadn't hurt _mine_."

"You know, if Mary were here, she'd probably have some deep thoughts about ego," Charlotte said thoughtfully.

Liz snorted, almost spurting out her soda. "Doubtlessly," she laughed.

Jane tried not to smile, because they were making fun of her sister, but she couldn't help herself. It was true- Mary considered herself a philosopher of sorts, because she read all of the great philosophers. She was _such_ a scholar.

"So what're you going to do about Darcy?" Charlotte asked.

"Kick his butt!" Liz grinned. "No, really, I dunno."

"You should forgive him," Jane said, and soon after was greeted by Charlotte's groans.

"You're too friggin nice!"

"Thanks," Jane smiled.

* * *

A few days passed. Charlie, Darcy, and Caroline also had the same lunch as the girls, but usually Caroline and Charles would talk to Jane, Charlotte and Liz would have their own conversations, while Darcy sat awkwardly to the side.

One day in particular, Charlotte and Liz were watching Charlie flirt with Jane.

"She's got to be more encouraging," Charlotte frowned, looking at the blushing, shy girl.

"She's just keeping herself from getting hurt. I think she actually _really_ likes him," Liz said distractedly, arranging her food by preference.

"That's good and all, Lizzy, but if a girl acts too guarded around the guy she likes, she'll lose him. You know what morons guys can be. Girls should show _more_ than what they feel, in order to encourage the poor saps."

"But she _is_ being encouraging," Liz frowned, looking up finally. "At least, as much as she can be. I mean, _I_ can tell. He'd have to be a complete imbecile to think she doesn't like him."

"He doesn't know Jane as well as you do, though."

"Well maybe he should make an effort to find out."

"He could, if he saw her enough. But we only meet at lunch, and that's no good, 'cause there are always lots of other people around. She can't devote _all_ her attention to him; I mean, she's got to eat as well. That's why she's got to make the most out of the time she has. Once she has him, _then_ she can worry about falling in love. Besides, these high school relationships rarely last. They're like practice for the real world. You might as well treat them like it."

"Charlotte," Liz sighed good-naturedly. "If all I wanted was a boyfriend-_any_ boyfriend- your plan would be a good one. But you know that's not the way Jane thinks. She doesn't even know how _she_ feels. She's got to get to know him better."

"Well, I guess there's nothing else I can do now but wish her luck," Charlotte shrugged. "But really, happiness in a relationship is all about luck. It's better to just rush right in. Plenty of time later, to learn about a person's bad habits, or his _ego_," she grinned roguishly.

Liz slapped her, laughing at the reference to the insult. "You know that's wrong, though. _You'd_ never act like that."

While Liz watched Charlie dote on her sister, someone else was coming to think of Liz herself similarly. Namely his friend, Darcy.

At first, she wasn't pretty at all to him. He told everyone around him his opinion of her- Caroline seemed to enjoy it especially. Somehow, once he'd stated her unattractiveness, she started seeming prettier. Maybe it was her beautiful eyes, and the way they could see right through him. Perhaps it was her playfulness- the way she joked around, not caring about what others thought. He was used to civilized girls from his upper circle. She was like a breath of fresh air. Of course, Liz knew absolutely nothing about this.

He decided that if he couldn't talk to her himself, he'd just listen to her conversations. He wanted to hear more about the way she thought. Besides- he was sitting within hearing distance. It was her own fault if she was speaking loud enough to be overheard.

Liz noticed, and mentioned it to Charlotte. "I'm not sure why he's doing it, Liz," her friend shrugged.

"I guess I'll bring it up if it happens again. You think he's trying to make me nervous- make me wonder what sort of judgmental thoughts are running through his head? Well, I'll show him I'm not afraid of him!"


	3. Just Say Yes

That Friday, Marie King threw her annual school kickoff party. Her older brothers had been in charge of it before her, and it had become a tradition of sorts.

Liz didn't drink- electing instead to laugh at her wasted peers and try to see what stupid stuff they'd do.

While Charlotte was off dancing, Liz ran into a friend of theirs, Forrest Whittaker. He was perfectly sober as well, so she began teasing him, trying to get him to throw a party. He had the best sound system of anyone they knew, and Liz was absolutely crazy about music.

"Come on, Whitty. You know that I love you," she fluttered her eyelashes flirtatiously. Almost instantly, Darcy was behind her. She'd come to be able to feel his presence.

"I'm not so sure about that, Benny," Forrest shook his head. "You know how out of hand it was last time."

"Please? I'll make sure that each group has a designated driver. Heck, if you let me choose the music, I'll be the designated driver for _everyone_," she rested a hand on Forrest's arm, drawing closer, and he grinned back at her.

"You do some music tonight, and you've got yourself a deal," he winked. Of course, the music he was talking about wasn't the music she was talking about.

She played guitar well, and piano fairly badly. And while she wasn't the next Celine Dion (or whomever you prefer), she had a perfectly nice voice. She was very entertaining to watch perform, mainly because of her lack of inhibitions, so she was usually requested.

Liz nodded, grinning. "You name the time!"

"All right, babe," he blew a kiss as he walked off, and she blew one right back.

"What do you think?" she turned to Darcy without pause. "Of my persuasion technique?" she elaborated. She knew he was just dying to cut a scathing little remark about how she was a whore or something.

"Very . . ._ energetic._ Of course, it's the same "technique" that all women pull when they want something from men. They're very good at 'persuasion.'"

"You're too harsh on girls," Liz frowned.

Charlotte came running up. Forrest must have told her about Liz's promise, since Charlotte loved watching Liz perform more than almost anyone.

"Your time is now! Come on, let's go, superstar!" Charlotte glowed, pulling Liz away before Darcy could respond, not even noticing his presence.

"Wow, it's a good thing that I don't have an ego, otherwise you'd be blowing it up!" she replied, jokingly.

"Marie King's got it all set up! She's even got Joseph's guitar for you to borrow," Charlotte handed the guitar to her.

"So what sort of music do you have in mind? Comedy or serious?" Liz asked, fiddling with the strings, making sure it was tuned right.

"Serious, for sure," Charlotte grinned. "You've got to show the newbies how good you are!"

"Alright!" Liz looked up, grinning back at her friend. "I've got just the song!"

Marie King shut off the sound system and announced to everyone that Liz was about to play. Liz looked out into the audience, smiling shyly, but her smile faltered when she caught the eye of a certain "gentleman."

Liz started playing right off, no beating around the bush. She changed the words of the song to better fit her situation, but most people were wasted, so they probably wouldn't notice.

_"You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht. Your hair strategically brushed over one eye. You had all a girl could want. You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte._

_"And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner, they'd be your partner and you're so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you, don't you, don't you?_

_"Well you almost had me days ago, when I didn't know what you were. Oh you were beautiful, but with such disdain. Should have known you were just like her. While you turned some heads, you looked down on them, and one of them was me._

_"You never thought I could hear every word, could hear every word and, you're so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you, don't you, don't you?_

_"You can be sure that I heard every word, I heard every word and, you're so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you, don't you, don't you?_

_"Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga, and your horse naturally won. Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun. Well, you're where you should be all the time, and when you're not, you're with some uptight rich guy or your not quite as rich friend, not quite as rich friend, and_

_"You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you, don't you, don't you?_"

Throughout the song, Liz kept her eyes moving, not allowing herself to make contact with anyone. Once she finished, she glanced over at Darcy. His expression was thoughtful, and when he saw her glance, he smirked. She scowled internally.

Liz bowed, grinning on the outside, to wild applause. "Encore!" someone shouted.

She shook her head shyly. "You don't want _another_ one!"

"We do!" her friends yelled. How supportive of them, Liz thought with a smile.

"Well, I have no idea what to play. Anyone got an idea?"

Forrest popped up, making Liz grin in spite of herself. "Something by Taylor Swift!" he exclaimed.

"Only if you help me," Liz smirked at him. Once, while hanging out, they'd devised a duet to Love Story, and she was certain he'd meant that.

He was by her side in a flash. "Don't mind if I do," he murmured in her ear. She glanced up with a grin as she began playing. Forrest sang first.

"We were both young, when I first saw you." "_I close my eyes and the flashback starts,"_ Liz sang. "I'm standing there," "**On a balcony in summer air,"** they sang together, harmonizing.

"See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns." "_I see you make your way through the crowd,"_ "And say," "**Hello. Little did I know,"**

"That I was Romeo, I was throwing pebbles," "_And my daddy said, 'Stay away from Juliet,'"_ "And you were crying on the staircase, begging me," "**Please don't go."**

"And I said, 'Baby I can take you somewhere we can be alone." "_I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run."_ "I'll be the prince and," "_And I'll be the princess."_ "**It's a love story, baby, just say yes."**

"_So I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet, 'cause we're dead if they knew."_ "So close your eyes. Escape this town for a little while. 'Cause I was Romeo," "_I was the Scarlett Letter."_ "And your-" "**Daddy said stay away from Juliet."** "_And you were everything to me, I was begging you,"_ "**Please, don't go."**

"And I said, 'Baby I can take you somewhere we can be alone." "_I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run."_ "I'll be the prince and," "_And I'll be the princess."_ "**It's a love story, baby, just say yes."**

"Baby I can save you." "_They try to tell me how to feel."_ "This love is difficult," "_But it's real."_ "Don't be afraid." "_We'll make it out of this mess."_ "**It's a love story, baby, just say yes."**

"_I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around. My faith in you was fading,"_ "Then I met you on the outskirts of town. And I said, 'Baby, I can save you." "_I've been feeling so alone."_ "I keep waiting." "_For you but you never come."_ "**Is this in my head, I don't know what to think."** "I knelt to the ground," "_And pulled out a ring and said,"_

"Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone." "_I love you and that's all I really know."_ "I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress." "**It's a love story, baby just say yes. 'Cause we were both young when I first saw you."**

"And, the end! No more!" Liz laughed.

"I think that's enough," Forrest agreed with a smile.

Liz returned the guitar to Marie King, slipping into the crowd, looking for Jane and Charlotte, who'd disappeared during the final song. She saw Darcy talking to Luke, a friend of Forrest's. Actually, it was more like Luke trying to hold a conversation with Darcy.

"I sure love a great party, don't you man? Nothing like dancing. Your pal Charlie's not half bad," Luke nodded to the floor, seeing Charles cutting up to a Black Eyed Peas song while Jane giggled, swaying from side to side in front of him.

Well, Liz thought, I found Jane. "I bet you're just as good," Luke brought Darcy's (and Liz's) attention to his face once more.

"I might be," Darcy said with what looked like a smirk. "Though I don't dance at all, if I can help it."

"And this could be a rumor, but don't you have a beach house in Malibu?"

Darcy merely nodded.

"I want to get a place there, but my family prefers the east coast," Luke rolled his eyes. He paused, waiting for an answer, but none came. Liz decided that she was done listening in to their conversation and walked on.

"Liz!" Luke called, deciding to have some fun. "Why aren't you dancing? Can I introduce you to Darcy? Darcy, you should show us how good a dancer you are," Luke smirked. So he _hadn't_ missed the bragging tone in Darcy's voice. "You can't refuse a gorgeous girl like Liz, can you?" He grabbed Liz's hand, pulling her closer to Darcy.

"Luke," Liz said warningly, pulling her hand out of his grasp as she stepped away. "I have no intention of dancing, whatsoever. I hope you don't think I came by here to beg for a partner." There was a slight stress on _beg_, as if her pride was injured.

"Will you please dance with me?" Will turned his ice eyes on her, except they were softer now, like a crisp autumn sky. He wasn't smirking- and seemed completely serious.

Liz shook her head, saying, "No, sorry. I just don't want to dance."

"Oh, but you're so good Liz. It's not very nice of you to deny me the pleasure of seeing you dance. Plus, even though Darcy hates dancing in general, he just offered." Luke was teasing now, knowing he was defeated, which put Liz back into good humor.

"He's very polite," Liz smiled.

"Of course he is- how can he resist a partner like you?"

Liz smirked playfully at that, raising a single eyebrow, and walked by without another word. Darcy wasn't angered at her rejection, and he was thinking of her when Caroline approached him.

"I bet I can guess what you're thinking about," she said, as coyly as she could. Darcy thought with an inner smirk that she wasn't quite as coquettish as Liz had seemed moments ago, without even trying.

"I'm sure you can't."

"You're thinking how you wouldn't want to spend many more evenings like this, with these people. I agree. I've never been more annoyed! The boringness, the noise. How all these nobodies think they're so important . . . I can't wait to hear what _you_ have to say about them."

"You're totally wrong, actually. I was thinking of much happier things. I've actually been thinking about the pleasure I feel when I see beautiful eyes in the face of a pretty girl."

Caroline's eyes widened, and she fixed them on his face. "And who is it that inspired such thoughts?"

He replied, unflinchingly, "Liz Bennet."

"Liz Bennet! I'm shocked! How long have you liked her. . . and when should I congratulate the two of you?"

"That's exactly what I thought you'd ask. You girls have very quick imaginations. You jump from admiration to love, from love to marriage in moments. Forgetting, of course, that we're only in high school. I knew you'd go that far."

"No, you seem serious about it, so I'm considering the matter settled. You'll certainly have a . . . _lovely_ mother-in-law, and I'm sure she'll want to visit you _very_ often."

He listened to her, perfectly indifferent. His composure convinced her that it was not love, and she felt safe in her commentary, which she continued all night.


	4. An Unlucky Affair

Liz and Jane were doing their homework one Friday afternoon, when Jane said, "Oh, Caroline's just written on my wall!"

Liz raised her eyebrows, moving to Jane's full-sized bed. Their room was big enough to fit a full bed for each of them. Jane gestured to the screen of her MacBook.

"If you don't come over for dinner tonight, Louisa and me, we're gonna hate each other. You can only spend so much time with your sister before fighting, you know what I mean? Come as soon as you read this. My brother and the other boys will be going out to eat. Love ya!"

"Well, you'd better go ask mom and dad," Liz shrugged. She didn't really approve of Jane being friends with Caroline, because she knew that the girl didn't really like her sister.

Jane nodded, and Liz followed her out, to see what they'd say. They found her parents in the living room. Mrs. Bennet, as well as a matchmaking enthusiast, was a plastic-surgery enthusiast. Mr. Bennet was a politician who'd married his wife when he was young and didn't know what he was getting into. Now, he preferred to keep up the pretense of being one big happy family instead of divorce and all the scandal that went along with it.

Jane told them about the invitation, and the fact that the boys wouldn't be there, because their mother would've asked about them. She knew from Charlotte's mother all about Jane's flirtation with Charlie, because Charlotte told her mother everything. Jane and Liz didn't tell their mother about their social life if they could help it, and with good reason.

"That's very unlucky that the boys will be out," Claire Bennet mused.

"Will you drive me there?"

"No, I think you'd better walk. It's only a few miles; the exercise would be good for you. Your father and I are much too busy to take you. Aren't we, Richard?"

Mr. Bennet, hearing his name, looked up from the comics. "Oh yes. Very busy."

"You'd better go!" Jane's mother said to her. "You wouldn't want to be late!"

As soon as Jane was gone, Claire Bennet grinned gleefully. Liz suddenly felt afraid for her sister, wondering what plot her mother was cooking up.

"It's about to rain!" Claire crowed. "Hopefully she'll have to wait for the boys to come back with the car- but I don't know how many cars they have. With their money, it's very likely that every member of the family has one. Oh well. We can hope!"

Almost as soon as she'd said this, the skies opened up into an awful downpour. Liz felt horrible, knowing her sister wouldn't come back after promising Caroline that she'd be there. She knew that Jane was walking in this rain, and hoped she wouldn't get sick.

* * *

That night, Liz got a call from Jane. "Hey, why haven't you come back yet?"

Jane's voice sounded low and gravelly, and Liz could tell it hurt her badly to talk. "I'm really sick, Liz. They won't let me leave."

"Wait a second, was this because of the rain?" Liz thought back. Jane had been coughing a little lately. . . Liz wanted to slap herself. She should've noticed! Better yet, she could slap her mother, for making Jane walk three miles in torrential rain. "Oh, I'll kill that woman, I swear I will!"

"No, don't," Jane said softly. "They're taking good care of me."

"Can't you stay with Charlotte? She lives in their neighborhood, right?"

"They're out of town. Labor day weekend."

"Man . . . well, how bad is it?"

"They think it might be pneumonia, but it's just a sore throat and a fever. I should be fine by school on Tuesday."

Jane broke off then, to cough violently. Liz felt even worse. "Jane, I'm coming over there, okay? I'm worried about you."

Before Jane could reply, tell her not to, Liz added, "Get some sleep, drink lots of fluids and all that. I'll be there soon." And with that, hung up.

She found her parents setting the table for dinner. "I'm have to go to the Bingleys'. Jane's horribly sick- they think it's pneumonia. They won't let her leave the house until she's better."

Mr. Bennet looked at his wife. "If your daughter dies of pneumonia, I'm glad it was in pursuit of some boy, all under your orders." He was a very dry, sarcastic sort of man.

"Oh, she's not going to die!" Claire waved a hand dismissively. "People don't die of _colds_! She'll be taken care of. As long as she stays there, everything's fine."

Liz couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm going to walk there."

"Don't be silly! After all that rain earlier, there's mud _everywhere_. You won't be fit to be seen!"

"I'll be fit to see Jane, and that's all I want."

"Do you want me to drive you?" Richard asked his daughter.

"Oh no, the walk is fine. I know how _busy_ the two of you are." At that, Mr. Bennet winced, but didn't say anything. "I'm motivated, so it shouldn't take more than an hour. But I'll probably stay overnight, is that all right?"

"Of course," Mr. Bennet said quickly.

Liz ran upstairs then, to pack a duffel with overnight clothes, an outfit for the next day, her handy-dandy makeup (she didn't leave the house without _something_ on), toothbrush and paste, and a book to amuse herself with. Within minutes, she was out the door.

* * *

When she reached the Bingleys' house on Netherfield Place (what a pretentious street name, Liz thought laughingly), a maid answered the door. In the time it took for them to go to the den, Liz learned more than she'd ever wanted to know about Mrs. Bingley, who was still at work. She and her husband were divorced, but even when they were together, _she'd_ been the one bringing home the bacon. One of those driven business types. She was the CEO of some _huge_ business that no one had heard of, but owned a lot of the more well-known brands. Mostly junk foods and soft drinks. They also sold oatmeal and granola bars, as well as certain brands of cereals and vitamin/mineral waters. Her salary when totaled with bonuses and such was about six _million_. It had taken her years to get to where she was, and Liz had to admit that she was impressed. The downside was that she was never with her children. That's why they had a live-in maid.

Everyone was in the den, watching TV. Everyone, that is, except Jane. There was a lot of shock at her arrival- Liz guessed that Jane had fallen asleep before she'd been able to tell anyone that her sister was coming. Not to mention how late it was, and how muddy Liz had become (mainly due to the short-cut she'd taken through a few soccer fields).

They were all perfectly polite, but Caroline definitely seemed cold. Liz expected her sister to be the same, but Louisa was mainly indifferent. Darcy was wondering why Liz had walked so far alone, for such a small reason. Didn't her family have a car? At the same time, he was admiring her. Her cheeks were reddened from the exercise, her eyes brightened.

Liz was offered dinner, but she was too anxious about her sister, so Charlie showed her where Jane was staying. Jane was a lot worse than Liz had expected. She was unbelievably hot to touch, and could barely stay awake, let alone speak.

Charlie noticed Liz go white. "We're having a doctor come see her tomorrow, if she isn't any better." He looked at Liz's duffle and his mouth twitched. "Feel free to stay overnight."

Liz looked down guiltily. "You really don't mind? I mean, I was just so worried about Jane. . ."

"Don't worry about it. Try and get some sleep," he said, smiling slightly.

Liz thanked him profusely, but thought to herself, No way. No way am I going to be able to sleep tonight.


	5. Her Ears Must Be Burning

While Liz was holed up with Jane, the conversation in the den turned to her.

"She has horrible manners- I think she's antisocial!" Caroline abused. "She's much too proud for her status, and she doesn't have the grace, beauty or brains to make up for it. Basically, there's nothing special about her."

Hurst looked angry at this, but was too much of a pacifist to say anything about it. He was worse than Charlie, even. He let his cousin get away with _anything_, basically. Even if he really was friends with Liz.

Louisa rolled her eyes. "She's a great walker," she pointed out dryly, sick of her sister insulting every girl they'd ever met. "And she has the confidence not to care about what other people think. Take her appearance earlier- she looked wild, and all she cared about was her sister."

"That's true, Louisa, she did look wild," Caroline nodded. She suffered an ailment many call 'selective hearing.' "Did you see her jeans? Mud halfway up her leg, not to mention the splotches on her knees and thighs. Plus her hands were _coated_. She must've fallen," at this, Caroline laughed gleefully.

"You may be right," Charlie said. "But I didn't notice any of that. She looked fine to me."

"_You_ noticed, didn't you, Darcy? I doubt you'd want your sister looking like that."

"Definitely not."

"To walk so far in such weather, and all alone? All because her sister had a _cold_? It doesn't make sense."

"It shows that she loves her sister very much," said Charlie.

"I suppose," Caroline said in a stage whisper to Darcy, ignoring her brother, "that this adventure has dampened your admiration of her _beautiful eyes."_

"Not at all," he replied, smirking. "They were brightened by the exercise."

There was a short silence, where Caroline seemed to glower at nothing in particular, then she spoke again. "I'm fond of her sister Jane, I really am. I just wish that she could move up a little in the world, and with such low connections, I'm afraid it's impossible."

"Didn't you say that their uncle runs a cleaning business?"

"Yes, and they have another who lives in Compton! Can you believe it? What a _joke!"_ she laughed.

"If _all_ their relatives lived in Compton, that wouldn't make them any worse people!" Charlie sounded insulted.

"But it doesn't help them move up in the world," Darcy said softly, and they were silent.

Liz snuck out of her sister's room at midnight, unable to sit there a moment longer. She brought her book with her, intending to read it in another room, where the light wouldn't wake her sister. She'd brought Troy by Adèle Geras, because she harbored a love for anything to do with Ancient Greece- namely Troy and the flawless Hector.

Liz made her way to the den, the only other room she knew in this mini manor. When she reached the door she blinked with surprise. All of the kids were inside, all awake. They were playing Rockband; Caroline sang, Charlie played the drums with the energy Liz had come to associate him with, Hurst was playing guitar, and solemn, steady Darcy was playing bass. Louisa looked on, wincing on some of Caroline's mangled notes.

"Hey Liz, come play with us!" Charlie grinned brightly at the end of a song while Louisa and Caroline traded places.

"Oh, no thank you, I just wanted to read." Liz held up her book as proof.

"You prefer reading to _Rockband_?" Hurst asked teasingly. "The greatest video game _ever?"_

"Don't you know?" Caroline said, with quite a different tone. Much more . . . condescending. "Liz _hates_ video games. She's a complete literature snob- doesn't like to do anything else."

"Did I say that?" Liz asked coolly, raising an eyebrow. "I enjoy reading, true, but it's certainly not great literature. More like young adult romance slash historical fiction slash mythology." She looked fondly at the golden letters spelling _Troy_. "Besides, I like doing lots of things! You'd be surprised."

At her response, Hurst breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't need him to stand up for her. True, he should've said something when she wasn't there, but now that she was here, she could easily fight for herself. And, he suspected, she would win.

"I'm sure you like to take care of your sister- you seem kind like that," Charlie said, and it was completely without a tone that would imply something to Caroline. Charlie was the only person Liz knew that could say that without sounding like he was making a point. As in- the point of Caroline's own lack of kindness.

Liz smiled at that, thanking him.

"So, Will," Caroline said slowly. Liz raised both eyebrows. The name didn't fit him. Darcy was Darcy and that was that. "Has Georgie grown much since the last time I saw her? Is she as tall as me yet?"

Liz opened her book so it would look like she was reading, but her eyes remained stationary. She was actually very interested in the conversation. Who was Georgie?

"No, and I doubt she ever will be. Like Liz, I fear she is doomed to be petite forever."

This was the first time Liz had heard something that sounded like light-hearted teasing from him, and was too amused to be insulted. Besides- she was proud of her stature.

"You have no idea how much I want to see her again! I've never met a better girl. So pretty, and at the same time, very clever. Not to mention her skill at the piano! A true lady. There are very few of them."

"True," Darcy nodded. "I know hardly any."

"And what do you suppose a true lady is?" Charlie asked, lips twitching at the stuffy phrase. He was too polite to laugh at them outright.

"Well, she must know how to play an instrument well, be able to sing, draw, dance, and speaking another language never hurts. At the same time, she has to have a certain air, a certain grace to her," Caroline held her head up, as if to provide an example. Liz snorted, disguising it as a cough.

"And of course," Darcy added. "She must have a quick mind, and be an avid reader."

"And you really know people like this?" Liz sputtered, hardly able to keep herself from laughing.

"I think you're too harsh on girls," Darcy said softly, and Liz was immediately reminded of herself saying nearly the same thing. How ridiculous! She had been defending females against his incorrect assumption that they were all seductresses, and now, he was using the same phrase against her, in his silly, old-fashioned beliefs? Again, ridiculous.

"_I've _never seen anything like that. It would be a bit of frightening sight, don't you think?"

Caroline protested, naming all the _ladies_ she knew. Liz wanted to speak up. Wasn't it only moments ago when they were saying true ladies were rare? And now, she's trying to convince me that she knows tons? Once _again_. . . Ridiculous, she mused.

The conversation had worn her out more than _hours _of reading could have. Liz bid everyone a quick goodnight, and went back to Jane.

"Elizabeth Bennet," Caroline said the moment Liz was gone, "is the type of girl who thinks putting other girls down will make her more appealing. Maybe it works with some guys, but it's a bit cruel."

"Girls are just cruel like that, aren't they?" Darcy asked, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.

Caroline was silenced once again.


	6. A Visit From the Witch

The next morning, Jane's condition was very much improved. Charlie came early in the morning to check on her, Caroline coming much later on. Liz called her mother anyway, because she knew she'd want to assess the situation.

Mrs. Bennet was there in almost an instant, with the two youngest Bennets, Lydia and Kat. She saw that Jane was alert, and not _as_ feverish as Liz had found her. But now that she knew her daughter was alright, the last thing she wanted was for her to get better and leave the Bingleys'. Therefore, when Jane asked her mother if she could be driven home, Mrs. Bennet was suddenly deaf.

When Jane fell asleep again, they all went into the kitchen, where the rest of the house was having breakfast.

"I hope Jane wasn't any worse than you expected," Charlie said as they found seats.

"I'm afraid she is," Mrs. Bennet said dramatically. "She's much too sick to be moved. I'm afraid she'll have to burden you a tad longer."

"Moved? Don't even think about it! I'm sure my sister agrees with me."

"You can be sure," Caroline said a bit coldly. "That Jane will get everything she needs to be well as soon as possible."

Claire smiled as warmly as the paralyzed nerves in her face let her. "Thank you so much. You're much too kind to my poor little Jane. If you weren't such good friends, I don't know what I'd do, because Jane is very sick, and suffers a lot, but with all the patience in the world, which is how Jane's always been, and she is just the sweetest girl I've ever met. I usually tell my other girls that they are nothing to _her._" At this point in Claire's babbling, Liz stiffened and noticed Caroline's eyes on her, a smirk doubtlessly in place on her lips. Lydia and Kat were too vapid to notice or care. The two of them were much too busy texting anyway. Mrs. Bennet continued, "You have a lovely room here, Charles, and a charming little garden outside. I noticed it as I was coming in. I don't know any house in the neighborhood that's as nice as this one. I hope you all don't plan to leave any time soon."

"Well that sort of stuff is left up to my mother," Charlie said with a bit of bemusement. "And it's a good thing too. I'm one of those spontaneous types, and if it were up to me, I could get the idea to leave and be gone in five minutes. At the moment, of course, I'm very happy here," he smiled.

"That's funny," Liz said, interrupting before her mother could speak again. "That's exactly what I would have expected of you." At this Mrs. Bennet looked slightly horrified.

"Oh, so you already know me, do you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with amusement.

"Oh yes, I understand you perfectly."

"Wow, it's kinda pitiful of me, isn't it, to be so easy to figure out?"

Liz shrugged. "I wouldn't say that. Not all deep, mysterious types are quite as pleasant to be around as you are," she grinned impishly.

Mrs. Bennet couldn't take it anymore. "Lizzy! Remember that you are a guest at his house. Please don't go on the way you do at home!"

"I didn't know," Charlie said, as if he hadn't heard her, "That you studied people like this. It must be amusing."

"Oh yes, but the intricate people are the _most_ amusing, no offense, Charlie."

"A smaller city like this," Darcy cut in, "probably doesn't have that many subjects for such a study. You're probably very confined in who you see on a day-to-day basis."

"Yes, but people are always changing, so there's always something new to see."

"Yes, of course!" Claire Bennet cut in. Everyone looked at her in shock. "I promise you that people here are just as interesting as those in some big _city_. I don't think that your city in California, wherever it is that you came from, is that much better than our town, except it's probably got better places to shop. . . But little towns are _much_ more pleasant, aren't they, Charles?"

Charlie looked frightened, surprised to have been drawn in this way. "When I'm in a small town," he said slowly, trying to think of a diplomatic answer. "I never want to leave. When I'm in a big city, it's the same. They both have advantages, and I'm happy in either."

"That's because you have the right sort of disposition," Claire smiled. She immediately frowned when she added, "But _that_ one," at this she looked at Darcy, "thinks that small towns are nothing at all."

"Mom, no, that's not what he said at all," Liz said blushing with shame. "He said that there wasn't very much variety here, which is true, when you compare it to a big city like New York or L.A."

"Of course, honey, I never denied that. But there isn't a group of neighborhoods quite as friendly as ours. I can think of at least ten families off the top of my head."

Charlie was too concerned about Liz's feelings to give anything away, but his sister looked at Darcy with the smile one wears when they're trying not to laugh, and not trying very hard to hide it.

Liz, eager to change the topic, asked her mother quickly, "Speaking of families, have you heard anything from the Lucases?"

"Yes, Charlotte's father e-mailed me yesterday. Such a nice family, don't you think Charles? A very kind bunch, especially the father, William. He's such a sweet man; always has a kind word for you, whoever you are. _That_ is a proper gentleman, not someone who considers himself too important and never opens his mouth." There was no doubt whom she was referring to.

"Did he say anything about Charlotte?" Liz asked, mentally killing her mother. She was quite creative, and once she'd "killed" her one way, she revived her to kill her again differently. Of course she'd never follow through. It was just amusing to think about. Poison and chainsaws and knives, oh my!

"No, but what a good sort of girl, isn't she? It's such a pity that she's not very pretty."

"She seems very nice," Charlie said hesitantly.

"Oh, yes, of course, but you must admit that she's no beauty queen. Her own mother has said so, and I think she's jealous of my Jane's beauty. I don't like to boast, but I don't think any of us has seen anyone better looking. It's not just what I think, it's what everyone says. In fact, when she was only eleven, there was a high schooler who was so in love with her we were worried for a little while, but nothing came of it. He realized in the end that she was too young. He did write her a few poems, and they were really pretty. . ."

"And that ended it," Liz said quickly, horrified. Matricide seemed like a totally acceptable option at this point. "I'm sure there have been many similar situations. I wonder who first discovered the way that poetry can drive away love!"

"I thought poetry was what _encouraged_ love," said Darcy.

"One already established, yeah, I agree that it helps it grow stronger. But if it's only a small sort of affection, I believe that a single sonnet will frighten it away entirely. Getting too serious too quickly, and all that."

Darcy could only smile wonderingly at that, and the room was left in silence. Liz nearly started trembling with the fear that her mother would start up again. She wanted to say something, anything to stop her mother before she could start, but she couldn't think of a single thing to say.

After a little while, the silence was broken. "Thanks again for looking after Jane so well. And I have to apologize for getting stuck with Lizzy- I know what a complete and utter _pain_ she can be," said Claire with a sickly sweet (and altogether unconvincing) smile.

Liz narrowed her eyes at her mother. She knew for a fact that she was the least favorite. Parents (and teachers, and adults in general) will try to convince you 'til they're blue in the face that they love all their children the same, and Liz supposed this was true with many. The Bennets didn't even bother with the pretense, unless at some sort of political event. Liz knew for a fact that Jane was her mom's favorite, Lydia and Kat coming in close second. For the first time that morning, the youngest girls looked up, smirking at Liz. She gave them her best death glare, and they shrugged and went back to their phones.

Charlie looked affronted for Liz. "Oh, no, it was no trouble at all. Liz is wonderful, we love having her," he added pointedly.

He elbowed Caroline, who spoke up, saying robotically, "Yes. It was a pleasure."

Mrs. Bennet didn't seem to notice the cold look in Caroline's eyes, smiled at them and said, "Well, we should be going."

Lydia stood up at this. Liz found out later that the younger twins had been texting each _other_, planning to ask as soon as possible, "Do you think you could throw a party here? This looks like a good house for it."

Liz wanted to squish the little eight graders. If Charlie _did_ throw a party, he certainly wouldn't invite the two brats. Or at least he shouldn't. He didn't know the sort of trouble that they got into.

Charlie- to Liz's dismay- shrugged. "Sure, that sounds cool. I'll tell you what- when your sister's better you can name the very day. But you wouldn't want to be partying while she's not well."

Lydia replied quickly (even though she certainly didn't mind partying while Jane was sick) "Oh yes, it would be much better to wait until she gets better. I wouldn't have wanted it this weekend anyway; Carter's out of town. And after Charles throws _his_ party, Liz, you have to make sure that Forrest does his."

Liz's three relatives left before she could strangle each and every one of them in front of the Bingleys and Darcy. She tried to tell Charlie that he shouldn't feel obligated to throw a party for her little sisters, but he shook his head, saying that he'd promised, and he wasn't about to break that promise.

Liz, sighing, left to see Jane, taking a bagel with her. As soon as she was gone, Caroline went back to abusing her, this time ragging on her mother and younger sisters as well. And as hard as she tried, she couldn't get Darcy to insult Liz in any way, no matter how much Caroline mentioned her _beautiful eyes._

* * *

**If you haven't noticed:** I have links on my profile page to what I think all the characters should look like. Let me know what you think of them!


	7. Cabin Fever

The day passed by very slowly for Liz. She finally got a chance to read her book, but there were still many hours left in the day. She ended up falling asleep on the floor next to Jane's bed in the morning, and didn't wake again until about 8 PM.

Jane was asleep when Liz woke up, so she snuck back out to the den. Darcy was sitting on one couch, laptop on his lap, while Caroline sat next to him. She was commenting on his e-mail to Georgie, and appearing to annoy him. Hurst and Charlie were playing Halo while Louisa read on the floor.

Liz found the newspaper to play Sudoku, looking up occasionally to Darcy and Caroline for amusement. She complimented him on his letter in every way possible, while he seemed to ignore her completely. It was a very satisfying sight.

"You write such wonderful e-mails to your sister! She must love hearing about what you're up to while she's off at boarding school."

He didn't answer her.

"And you type so quickly!"

"Really? I thought I typed rather slowly."

Liz had to scrutinize his face, for any sign of sarcasm. She didn't think he was capable of cracking a joke. There was a slight tilt in his mouth, but that could have just as easily been his annoyance with her, or his natural arrogance.

"Please tell her how much I want to see her."

"I already have. You asked five minutes ago, remember?"

"Oh."

Liz heard Hurst laugh, then silence himself quickly. She had to smile.

"Well, why don't you tell her how proud I am to hear how she's improved on the piano? She was much better at her recital than that Sophia Grantley. It's a good thing they videotaped it so you and I could see it!"

"They always tape the piano recitals. Besides, I'm in the middle of a paragraph about something else entirely. I don't want to randomly change topic on her."

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'll see her over Thanksgiving break. But do you always write such wonderful long letters to her?"

"They're long, sure. Whether or not they're wonderful is up for interpretation."

"I think if anyone can write a long letter easily, they must write wonderfully."

"That's not a compliment to Darcy," Charlie said with amusement, eyes still on the television, "because he doesn't write _anything_ easily. He's much too careful about vocabulary and wording. Aren't you?"

"I write differently than you," Darcy shrugged.

"Too true," Caroline laughed, quick to jump to Darcy's defense. "Charles writes so carelessly! You should see things he's handwritten- words are left out, added in hastily, others are crossed out, the rest are misspelled. It's so ugly!"

"I think quickly," he shrugged, not offended. "My hand can't keep up with all the ideas my mind has, so most times, you can't read any idea at all."

"You're using your modesty to defend yourself, don't you?" Liz entered the conversation, grinning. Some people acted like they didn't care about what other people thought after being insulted, to avoid conflict. It made sense that Charlie was one of those people.

"I think it's deceitful to appear modest. In fact, I think it's an indirect way of bragging," Darcy said.

"What would I be bragging about?" Charlie laughed.

"You believe that your quick thinking and sloppy hand writing is something interesting. People are often praised on their quickness in finishing something, without even thinking about the quality of the job done. For example- when you told Mrs. Bennet this morning that if you were in charge, you could be gone in five minutes- you considered it a compliment to yourself. But honestly, what's so great about that? If you lived that way you'd leave necessary business undone and who does that help?"

"Oh, why are you bringing back a conversation from this morning, when it's night now? It's not that important. I meant what I said- I wasn't trying to show off or anything."

"I'm sure you did, but in this situation, you probably wouldn't always follow through. You never plan ahead, so it's easy to convince you to change your mind. If a friend asked you to stay for a month, maybe even a year, I bet you would."

"With what you just said," Liz said quickly, "you complimented Charlie better than he could have done for himself."

"It's sweet that you turned what he said into a complement, but that's not what he meant at all. _He_ would prefer it if I flat out denied the friend and drove away as fast as possible," Charlie said, looking at Darcy.

"So in that case, would Darcy find that your stubbornness in sticking to your plan makes up for your rash decision in the first place?"

"I can't say! You'll have to ask Darcy for himself."

"You expect me to agree with opinions you said were mine, while I didn't say a thing. But you have to remember that the friend asked him to stay without giving him a reason."

"So to do easily what a friend asks, that's a bad thing?"

"To do what a person asks without reason isn't exactly the wisest thing you could do. . ."

"But you didn't consider the friendship in question. If one really cared about the requester, they would be much quicker to agree. I'm not really talking about Charlie now, but just in general. If someone were asked by a friend to change their plans, would you really think less of them if they agreed without argument?"

"Well, first of all, we should decide the importance of the plans, and the closeness of the friends."

"Let's just throw all the details in there!" Bingley exclaimed. "Such as . . . height! Trust me, Liz, if Darcy wasn't quite as tall and intimidating as he is, I might not respect him as much. There really isn't anything scarier than Darcy- especially at home on a Sunday night with nothing to do!"

Darcy smiled slightly, but at the same time, Liz could tell he was offended, so she did her best to hide her laugh. Caroline glared at her brother for insulting her beloved Darcy.

"I can see what you're trying to do," Darcy said. "You don't like arguing, and you're trying to get us to stop."

"So what if I am? Arguments are one step away from fights, after all. Oh, feel free to argue amongst yourselves, but wait until I leave the room, okay? I give you free rein to say whatever you want about me _then_," he grinned.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. . . It's not really that important. Anyway, Darcy should probably finish his e-mail," Liz said, looking back down at her puzzle.

And he did. Once he was done, he asked for some music. Instead of getting a CD out like he intended, Caroline walked over to the little keyboard in the corner and started playing a complicated piece that would've sounded much better on an actual piano. Liz, whenever she looked up, couldn't help but notice Darcy's eyes on her. Every time, he looked away, as if he was simply glancing around the room.

Liz had no idea why Darcy would be looking at her. Because he liked her? That was a joke, especially after what he'd said on the first day of school. But it was just as weird for him to be looking at her _because_ he disliked her. The only idea she had was that there was something about her that made her worse than anyone he'd ever met, and he was looking at her because he couldn't believe how disgusting she was. She didn't really care, if that was the case. She didn't care for him, why should she care about his opinion?

After a while, the music started to sound like something you'd slow dance to. Darcy came over to Liz, saying, "Do you think we should seize the opportunity and dance for a bit?" He spoke softly, so Liz was the only one who heard.

She smiled, thoughtful, but didn't answer. He repeated the question, leaning closer.

"Oh, I heard you the first time. I just couldn't decide on a reply. My guess is that you wanted me to say "Yes," so you could laugh at me and make fun of my dancing. Since I love ruining evil plots like this, I've decided that I don't want to dance at all. Now despise me if you dare," she added cheekily. The last sentence popped into her head at the last second, and the way the words sounded temped her to say it in a cheesy villain accent, but she stopped herself in time.

"Indeed, I do not dare," Darcy said, with a hint of an accent in his reply. It's hard to utter phrases like that with either a straight face or a normal voice.

Lizzy was surprised. She expected him to be insulted, but there was a natural mixture of sweetness and playfulness in her behavior that made it hard for anyone to take anything she said to heart. Besides that- Darcy had never been so entranced by a mere girl before. He really thought that if it weren't for her unfortunate family and the expectations placed on him that he would be in danger.

Caroline noticed this, and she was, of course, jealous. This only spurred her wish for Jane to get better, because when she did, Liz would get out of her house.

* * *

The next day, Caroline convinced Darcy to go walking with her in the garden. It was rather large, taking up the entire back yard, with high hedges and flowers exploding everywhere. Caroline was hoping to make him dislike Liz by talking about their "marriage" and making various plans.

"I hope you can persuade your mother-in-law to hold her tongue, and maybe stop the younger sisters from being so wild. And, I hope I don't insult you, but you might want to fix that little thing about Liz that borders on ego and rudeness. Since you'll be in the public for the rest of your life, she has to be able to play the part and make them love her, and she's not going to do that with her current attitude."

"Do you have any more advice?"

"Of course. As for getting her portrait done for your gallery at Pemberly, I don't think you should try it at all. After all, what painter can do those _beautiful_ eyes justice?"

"It won't be easy to capture the spark in them, but it's possible to accurately copy their color and shape."

Louisa had convinced Liz to go outside and get some fresh air, after staying in with Jane for close to 48 hours, and the two of them happened to bump into Darcy and Caroline.

"I didn't know that you were coming outside," Caroline said quickly, hoping they hadn't overheard their conversation.

"You're the one who ran away without telling anyone where you were going," Louisa answered.

She walked on Darcy's other side, leaving Liz awkwardly left out, for the walk was only wide enough for three. Louisa was already off in her own little world, and didn't notice. Caroline, however, did notice, and felt a cruel glee because of it. Darcy was certain Caroline would continue on without Liz on purpose.

He didn't want to be rude, so he said, "There isn't enough room for all of us. Why don't we go walk down the street for a little while?"

Liz waved them on, laughingly saying, "No, no, you go on. You make a lovely tableau," her eyes sparkled at this, "and the picture would be ruined if you added me in. I'm going to go check on Jane. Seeya!"

She ran off, and couldn't help skipping a bit as she went. Jane was much better- in fact, she'd was going to try leaving her room that evening, to see everyone. They would be home soon, and Liz couldn't _wait_.


	8. Nothing to Laugh At

That evening, after dinner, Liz got Jane bundled up in a quilt and sat her on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate. Jane sipped it serenely, smiling when the Bingley sisters came in, giving her all of their attention.

Then, the boys came in. The very moment they did, Caroline diverted her attention completely. It was as if Jane didn't exist.

"Hey Darcy, look, it's Jane!" she said, after he'd taken only one step inside.

Ignoring Caroline, Darcy turned right to Jane. "I'm glad you're better."

Hurst voiced his agreement, but the happiest at Jane's well-being was Charlie. He revealed a hidden fireplace, behind some wood paneling. He spent at least twenty minutes making a blaze warm enough, and once it was done, sat by it with Jane, talking to no one else.

Liz took up the comic section of the paper, smiling at her sister from across the room. She read the Sunday comics quickly, moving on to the Sudoku in minutes.

"Does anyone want to play Rockband?" Hurst asked, hefting a guitar controller.

Caroline, knowing that Darcy didn't want to play, said, "No, Hurst, no one wants to play."

Hurst looked around the room, but no one spoke up in disagreement. Disappointed, he hung his head and plopped down on the second couch, next to Liz.

"I'm going to sleep," he announced as he leaned back. Liz watched in amusement as he fell asleep in what seemed like seconds.

Darcy chose a book to read, and (surprise, surprise) Caroline did the same. Louisa was off in her own world most of the time, but occasionally joined in Charlie's and Jane's conversation.

Caroline wasn't exactly _reading_. . . She was more interested in watching Darcy read. Every thirty seconds or so, she'd either glance at his page or ask a question of some sort. He would ignore her as much as he could, answering questions with short, one word answers.

Finally, she stretched, yawning, and said, "Isn't this such a lovely way to spend the evening? Nothing quite as enjoyable as reading!"

Liz, remembering Caroline calling her a "literature snob," smiled to herself.

No one responded to her statement, which made Liz smile that much more. Caroline looked around the room for something to entertain her, and heard her brother mention the party to Jane.

"Oh, Charlie," she said, jumping in. "Are you really serious about that? If I were you, I'd ask certain people in this room. . . Remember that there's someone in here who would think another party is a _punishment_."

Liz rolled her eyes without looking up. For all her "certain peoples" and "someones," it was obvious who Caroline was referring to.

"If you're talking about Darcy," Charlie replied with a slight sparkle in his eye, no doubt thinking the same thing as Liz, "then he can just stay in his room all night, maybe go to bed or something. The party's already set- there's an event on facebook with guests RSVP'ed and everything."

"I'd like parties much better if they weren't so boring. It's always the same old thing! Never anything new! And so brainless! Why can't we just talk, instead of drunkenly dance? It would make much more sense!" as she said this, Caroline spared a glance towards Darcy. She was obviously hoping to impress him or something.

"It might make more sense, Caroline, but it wouldn't be much of a party," Charles said with amusement.

Darcy remained immersed in his book, so with a huff, Caroline got up and wandered around the room. She was so desperate to get Darcy's attention that she walked to her least favorite person.

"Lizzy, you should get up and walk with me. It's great to move around after sitting for so long."

Elizabeth, surprised, agreed without thinking. She hid a grimace as Caroline locked their arms together and led her in circles. Instantly, Darcy looked up. Unconsciously, he closed his book, and Caroline smiled.

"Will, why don't you join us?" she asked, trying to seem flirtatious.

Smirking, he shook his head. "For the two of you to randomly walk around the room like that. . . There can only be two reasons. I would ruin either if I joined you."

"What do you mean, Will?" Caroline smiled, as if she was in on the joke. She obviously wasn't, and she was dying to be. "Lizzy, do you have any idea what he means?"

"Not at all," Liz said with her own smirk at Darcy, "but I'm sure he's only teasing us. We should thwart his efforts. The best way to do that is to ignore him, to leave it at that."

Caroline certainly could _not_ "leave it at that." "Please William, tell us what you mean."

"One- you two have some sort of secret to discuss. Two- you know that walking shows your body off best. If it's the first, I'd be in your way. If the second, I have a much better view from over here," he ended with a gleam in his eye, looking both of the girls up and down.

"Oh!" Caroline gasped over-exaggeratedly. "What a pig! How can we punish him?"

"Simple. Tease him. You're close to him- I'm sure you know what buttons to push," Liz suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't! As close as I am, I still don't know how to tease him. I mean, just look at him! There's nothing to laugh at."

"Nothing to laugh at! That's a bit of an unfair advantage. I'm glad _I_ don't have any friends like that, to be honest. I love to laugh."

"Caroline doesn't know what she's talking about," Darcy said, cutting in. "Even the wisest of men can be laughed at by a fool."

Liz raised both of her eyebrows then. "You consider yourself a man, then?" She cut off what he was about to say by speaking again. "You know, I don't _think_ I'm a fool. I like to at least think that I wouldn't ridicule wisdom. Still, the slightest amount silliness in a person always manages to make me laugh. But I suppose there's absolutely nothing silly about _you_, is there?"

"I'm not sure if it's possible for people to have absolutely nothing silly about them. But it's true that I try to avoid that sort of thing. In fact, I try to avoid weaknesses in general."

"Like egotism and pride?"

"Egotism is a weakness. . . But with the right person, pride can be managed."

Liz turned away to hide a smile.

"Alright, you're done examining him," Caroline said sourly, wanting the attention on her again. "So what's the final result?"

"Darcy has no flaws, whatsoever. I mean, he said so himself."

"No, I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything like that at all. I have flaws. Like my temper. It's much too easy to set me off, and it takes much too long for me to forgive. I could even be called resentful. Once I lose trust in a person and stop caring for them, there's no fixing it."

"Wow, that _is_ a flaw. But you've chosen a good one. There's nothing I can laugh at! Oh well . . . I guess you're safe from me."

"Everyone has one, you know. A flaw so bad, there's nothing you can do about it."

"And yours is misanthropy."

"Just like yours is the way you stubbornly misjudge people," he replied with a smile.

"So, who wants to watch a movie?!" Caroline wrenched her arm from Liz's.

After a moment, they decided on a comedy. Darcy settled back into the couch, exhaling his relief. He was coming to realize just how easy it was to get caught up in Liz. Easy, and very, very dangerous.


	9. The Infamous Cousin

The next morning, Liz got up early, and found Charlie in the kitchen, making scrambled eggs.

"Good morning!" he grinned when he saw her.

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Morning, sunshine. Those eggs sure smell good."

"Want some? I made enough for two!"

"Sure, why not?" she grinned at him. There was something about Charlie that was just infectious. Whenever he was around, you couldn't help but smile along with him. He was just _that_ happy.

He scooped the eggs onto two plate and set them on the bar. Liz settled down on a stool as Charlie got silverware and drinks.

"Is OJ ok?"

Liz giggled and nodded. "What?" Charlie asked, head in the refrigerator.

"OJ ok," she said. "It just sounds funny."

He pulled the orange juice out, turning to look at her. "OJ. Ok. Yeah, it does sound funny!"

He poured two glasses of orange juice and put the carton back in the fridge before sitting next to Liz.

"You know," she said after swallowing a large mouthful of juice, "I wouldn't have expected you to be able to cook."

"Why not?"

"Because," she laughed. "You're so rich! Wouldn't you have someone to cook for you?"

Smiling with a closed mouth, Charlie replied, "We weren't always rich, you know. As for the cooking, that happened when I was about six and my parents divorced. Since my mom was always out working, Louisa and I grew up pretty quickly. Caroline, somehow, never really grew up."

"What about Hurst?"

"He came to live with us when I was eleven. I was already in charge of cooking by then, and Louisa did all the cleaning. When we got Jessie, Louisa vowed she would never dust another knickknack, never wash another sock again. But I kinda like cooking, so I'll do it from time to time," he smiled.

"That's. . ." Liz drifted off, not sure what to say. "That's quite a story."

"Yeah, that's pretty much my life. What about you?"

"Well," Liz chuckled bitterly. "You saw my mother. I don't know if you've heard of my father or not. . . he's on the school board. He's run for mayor countless time, but never gets it. He's a good guy, but he kinda left us to fend for ourselves. I don't think he really knows how to interact with young girls. It might've been different if he'd had a son. . . But yeah, pair that with my _mother_ and you get me and Jane trying to keep the peace most of the time."

"Both of our families are kinda screwed up, aren't they?" this time, Charlie's smile was rueful.

"Oh yeah," Liz shook her head. "Claire- that's my mom- is terrible, to be honest. She should've been born two hundred years ago. I swear, the only thing in the world that she wants is for my sisters and I to get 'beaus,' as she calls them. If one of us were to get pregnant, she'd probably be ecstatic at the chance to plan a shotgun wedding."

"You're kidding."

Liz shook her head, taking a big bite of eggs. She chewed quickly and swallowed, saying, "That's dear old mom."

"Wow."

"Speaking of. . . well, kind of. . . I think it's time Jane and I went home."

"Oh, no, trust me it's been no trouble-"

"It's not that. Well, kind of, but we've also got school tomorrow."

"Already?"

"Yeah, it's labor day today. So I think we should just go home, make sure we didn't have any homework we forgot about, get ready for school tomorrow, all that. Plus, I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed," she laughed.

"If you insist," Charlie shrugged, looking down.

"You'll see her at school tomorrow!" Liz laughed a bit harder.

"What?! No, no, I. . ." Charlie drifted off, stuffing his face with eggs as his cheeks turned red. Liz just smiled to herself.

* * *

"Thanks so much, Charlie. For the ride, letting me stay. . . everything," Jane said as they left his car.

"No problem!" he grinned. "Feel free to come over next time you feel sick," he joked.

"No, you should come to _our_ house," Liz butted in. "Let us return the favor!"

"Exactly," Jane smiled.

"I'll be sure to do that. Bye girls! See you tomorrow!"

"Bye," Jane whispered as he pulled out of their driveway.

"You like him _soo_ bad," Liz grinned, butting her sister with her hip.

"Do not!"

"Do too! You are _hooked_."

"Maybe," Jane smiled. "A little bit."

Liz laughed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's go see how mad Mom is. I bet she wanted you to stay at least a week."

When they walked in the door, the first person to greet them was, in fact, their angry mother.

"What are you doing back here so soon?!"

Jane, to deflect Claire's anger from Liz, as she knew it was directed, grinned brightly. "I'm better! Ta-da!"

"Are you sure? Maybe you should've stayed another day. . ."

"And miss school? Even if I had stayed, Charlie would've had to go to school and leave me behind. So really, isn't this a better alternative?"

"Yes, yes, of course dear. Why don't you go get some rest?"

Liz followed her sister to the stairs. They passed their father's office, and he called out, "Lizzy?"

Liz stopped by the open door. "Yes, Dad?"

Her father smiled briefly, and said in a gruff voice, "I'm glad you're back. There was no intelligent dinner conversation, whatsoever."

Liz couldn't help but smile. "Love you too, Daddy."

* * *

Months passed without event. On Veterans Day, when school was out, the family was having breakfast together when Mr. Bennet announced some interesting news.

"I hope you have a good dinner planned tonight, because we're having an unexpected guest."

"Well then, who is it?" Claire asked, anxious to get to the point.

"The girls' cousin, Collin."

"Oh, don't _say_ that name!" Claire cried. "I don't care about that little brat! I don't care if he's your older brother's son, all I know is that the second he turns 18 and gets his inheritance, we'll be tossed to the streets!"

"Don't be so dramatic," her husband scoffed. "Even though he's inheriting this house, he's not going to want it right away. I'm sure he'll wait until he graduates college. The girls will all have gone off to school by then and you and I can buy a small house for our retirement."

Ah, the Bennet scandal. The house the girls were currently living in with their parents actually used to be their grandfather's. He'd left it to his eldest son, who was also dead. When Richard's money began to get tight, they sold their old house and moved into this one, as no one was living in it at the time. Once the 17-year-old Collin turned 18, he could claim the house, if he wanted. Since Richard Bennet had never gotten along with his brother, Claire was afraid the brother's son would take the opportunity to win the fight once and for all.

"Anyway," Richard continued. "I got this e-mail sometime last week and forgot about it. Let me read it."

_Dear Sir  
The fight between you and my late father has always upset me, and ever since he passed, I've wanted to make peace. For a while, I was afraid that it would be disrespectful to his memory, but since I'm soon to receive my inheritance, I figured now would be the best time.  
_

_Of course, in addition to that, I'm working to become a pastor, and I can't very well set a good example to my parish while keeping a family feud alive, can I?  
_

_So, I would like to offer an olive branch, to make every possible amends to your daughters.  
_

_I hope you won't mind me coming to visit on Wednesday, November 11th, when I'm out of school. I'm planning to use up my skip days so I can stay for Thanksgiving, if you deem that acceptable. If so, you may expect me at four o' clock on Veterans Day, and I will stay until Saturday the 28th, or Sunday the 29th.  
_

_Please give my best to your lady and daughters.  
Collin Bennet_

"So we'll meet this peacemaker at four o' clock today. He seems like a nice young man."

"Well," Claire sniffed. "If he wants to make amends, _I_ won't be the one to stop him."

"I'm kinda curious though," said Jane. "What could he mean by making 'every possible amends?'"

"I think he's weird. Just listen to the way he writes! It's a bit. . ." Liz drifted off, trying to find the right word.

"Pompous?" her father smiled.

"Exactly. Do you think he's completely . . . right in the head?"

"No, not at all. I certainly hope not! I think he'll be a very . . . amusing acquaintance. I can't wait to meet him."

"I don't see anything wrong in his letter," Mary spoke up. "The idea of the olive branch is a very nice one."

Kat and Lydia, of course, were completely uninterested. They only wanted to know whether they would be interested in the boy, and the way the e-mail was written assured them that he was boring and ugly. The fact that he was their cousin didn't even register with them. As for Claire, she definitely disliked the man less, and was planning to be perfectly civil.


	10. A Pompous, Disdainful, Backwards Hick

At 4:00, on the dot, there was a ring at the doorbell. Richard looked at his watch in shock. "Not 3:59 or 4:01. . . four o' clock _exactly_." He then giggled in glee. Let me tell you, if you've ever heard an old man gleefully giggling, you can imagine how scary it was for Liz. Mr. Bennet was the kind of guy who loved to laugh at ridiculous people, and he was now certain in his earlier guess—Collin Bennet would probably be the most ridiculous person he'd ever met.

The girls were all waiting in the living room when Mr. Bennet ushered their cousin in. He was a tall, lanky sort of boy with very awkward features. Just take his large ears, his long, thin neck, or his oddly large nose. He was wearing a suit and tie, and perched awkwardly on one of the armchairs.

They'd heard him praising the décor in the entrance hall, then, as he came in, the living room. He also complimented the girls, saying to Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, "What beautiful daughters you have. I'm proud to call them my cousins."

Claire simply glowed, while Mr. Bennet looked laughingly at his nephew. Their children, however, wished a hole would open up in the floor to swallow them completely.

Liz, Jane, Kat, Lydia, and Mary all squeezed onto the couch, while Mr. Bennet sat in his recliner and Mrs. Bennet hovered around, settling in the other armchair on occasion.

"Can I get you anything? Water? Juice? Soda? Coffee?" Claire's unnaturally plump lips stretched into a tight smile.

"Coffee, black." Collin's voice actually gave Liz the chills. . . it was just creepy-sounding. "Thanks."

Liz glanced to her father, who was regarding the awkwardness with a smile. When she looked back at Collin, she noticed that he was staring at Jane in a _completely_ creepy way. He noticed her eyes on him, and when they made eye contact, Liz raised a single eyebrow, the rest of her face stoic. Collin tilted his chin up stubbornly, meeting her gaze without fear. Liz dropped her brow so she could give him the full effect of her best death stare. Collin managed to maintain eye contact for a couple of seconds, but ended up looking away first. When he looked back at her, she was smiling serenely, as if nothing had happened.

"So Collin, how is school going?" Mr. Bennet asked.

"Splendidly! I'm salutatorian this year. . ." He drifted off as his face grew dark. "I would have been valedictorian, but I got points off of an English essay for going over the maximum word limit. . . Isn't that ridiculous? Getting a lower grade for writing _too_ much?"

"That's just terrible!" Mary cried.

Mr. Bennet's smile quickly came to resemble a smirk. "Simply ridiculous."

"But like I said, I'm hoping to become a pastor. Last year, the only colleges I applied to were Christian schools, and I got into a very nice one in California, which I'm choosing to go to. . . I was worried for a while, however, about the tuition, as my father is dead and all. But, while at a conference in LA, I met the most lovely old lady, Catherine DeBourgh.

"I told her all about my troubles, and you'll never guess what happened—she volunteered to pay for my entire tuition, _and_ to give me a place to stay while in California! She lives on a large estate, complete with a chapel, so her requirement for our deal was for me to give a service in her chapel every Sunday. Apparently, all her friends and neighbors—none of them quite as rich as she—are invited to her services, and it's about time that her current reverend retires, so she needs a new one, i.e. me.

"Of course, it wasn't until later that I learned that she'd been a friend of my late father's. You see, we'd kept contact after meeting, with a phone call every other day. I'm the most grateful man in the world. . . I owe her my future!"

Kat nudged Lydia, who'd been leaning back and feigning sleep. "Oh, is he done?" Lydia whispered, not too quietly. "_Finally!_ I thought he'd talk _forever!_"

But of course, her mother did nothing to quiet her. In fact, Claire hid a laugh behind her hand.

Either Collin didn't hear, or he chose not to. He added, "I had no clue how to address her. . . I called her Madam DeBourgh once or twice, and she said I could simply call her Lady Catherine. Isn't that charming?"

This time, Mr. Bennet had to be the one to conceal a laugh. "Absolutely," he managed to say.

"Does she have any family?" Jane asked in her kindest voice. She couldn't believe how rude her family was being.

"No, she's a widow. But she does have a daughter, Anne. I believe she's Mary's age. I met her as well, when I was at the conference."

"What kind of girl is she?" Kat asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Beautiful, simply beautiful! I believe her to be beyond the most gorgeous of girls, because there's something to her looks that simply states _nobility_. Unfortunately, she's very sickly, which has kept her from accomplishing all of the things she no doubt could. . . But she's just the sweetest girl, no doubt about it."

"So her sickness. . . does that mean she's homeschooled?"

"Yes, sadly. She was meant to go to a prestigious all girl's private school, which is very rigorous and strict, so I've heard, but she's too sick to leave the estate. I told Lady Catherine once that society has been deprived of a most fantastic jewel of a lady. She was very pleased at that. I love to offer up compliments to her, whenever possible. It's the least I could do, to show my gratitude."

"Wonderful, just wonderful," Mr. Bennet said gleefully. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but are your compliments impulsive? Or do you base them on previous compliments? You know, studying what sort of praise pleases Lady Catherine the most, and planning more of the same kind."

"They're mostly based on impulse. Sometimes, however, I do enjoy creating such compliments ahead of time, but I try to make them seem as natural as possible."

Mr. Bennet grinned, nodding. Lucky for him—Collin was just as absurd as he'd hoped. He listened to the boy go on about the marvelous Lady Catherine, managing to keep a straight face the whole time. Every now and then, he'd glance at Liz, who shared in his amusement.

By the time, however, that dinner was finished (green beans and mashed potatoes, which Collin praised lavishly), all of the Bennets had grown tired of their guest. After dinner, they collected in the living room to watch Glee together, as Liz, Jane, Claire, Lydia, and Kat Bennet all worshiped the show. Mary and Richard typically stayed in their rooms (or in Mr. Bennet's case, office), but since they had a guest, they remained with the others, so as to present a united, happy family.

It wasn't even 30 seconds into the show, however, that Collin expressed shock and reproof. When the voiceover presented "So here's what you missed last week," Collin provided commentary. "She's pregnant? Whatever happened to abstinence?" or "They should not be so accepting to a gay person! How sinful!"

When Quinn expressed her worries about being able to pay for a baby, Collin was right there with, "You wouldn't have to worry about it if you'd resisted temptation!"

After that, the focus was mainly on Artie and his wheelchair, so Collin remained relatively quiet. He had something to say about the Glee club's unchristian attitude, when they wouldn't help Artie with the bake sale, of course.

And then, when Puck and Quinn were arguing, he had another outburst about adultery. Somehow, he'd missed that part on the intro, because he was so worked up about the fact that Quinn was pregnant at all.

I'm not going to bore you with an hour's worth of commentary, but you can imagine how an uber-conservative would react to a show like Glee. If you want to know exactly what he disliked, just watch the episode entitled, Wheels. The rest should be easy to figure out.

After 30 minutes, Kat leaned over and whispered in Liz's ear, "Are you taping this?"

After a sip of her coke, Liz replied, "Yeah, don't worry about it. We can all re-watch it in the middle of the night or something."

"I cannot take three weeks of this."

Liz rolled her eyes. "I _know_. But we'll find a way to watch some real television. If we have to, we can just go over to Charlotte's every day."

"Good idea- there are a lot of hot guys in her neighborhood."

Liz rolled her eyes, but when she looked back at Kat, she was grinning. Liz smiled back. Out of the younger twins, Liz definitely preferred Kat. When Lydia wasn't around, she was almost bearable. She was just very impressionable. Easy to mold. It was such a shame that Lydia was the way she was. . . that's the only reason Kat was so obnoxious.

"You are in eighth grade," Liz hissed at her sister, good-naturedly. "If you want to end up like Quinn, at least wait three or four years."

Kat silenced a giggle behind her hand. "Oh, trust me, I do _not_ want to end up like that. Pregnant people don't have fun! If you should be worried about someone," and here, Kat glanced at her twin, making sure she wasn't listening, "it would be Lydia. She can't _wait_ to be 'sexually active.' She wouldn't even care about getting pregnant, as long as she was 'getting some.'"

At this point in the conversation, Liz came very close to spraying the TV with Coca-Cola. She clamped her hands over her mouth, laughing with her mouth full of soda.

"Lizzie, are you okay?" Jane asked loudly, making everyone look at her.

Liz's shoulders shook as she tried to nod, still unable to swallow the drink in her mouth.

"I find it to be very poor manners to laugh with one's mouth full," Collin said pompously, only making Liz laugh harder. Mr. Bennet's eyes widened at his daughter, looking more amused by the moment.

"Liz, honey, shut up!" Claire snapped. "I'm trying to watch Glee!"

Liz finally just walked over to the sink in the kitchen to spit the coke out. Once she had, she started laughing in earnest. Kat, the only one knowing what started everything, laughed with her, and Lydia laughed so she wouldn't be left out. Jane couldn't help giggling at her twin's antics, and even Mr. Bennet let out a chuckle or two. Of course, that could have been at the look of revulsion on Collin's face as he watched his cousin.

"I think," Richard Bennet said, with a smile on his face, "that now would be a good time for everyone to go to bed."

* * *

The next two school days were uneventful. Collin's creepy looks at Jane hadn't stopped. It was becoming clear that he favored her to all his other cousins. Jane tried to be sweet and diplomatic about it as usual, but it did make her a bit uneasy. And, of course, Liz wasn't shy about offering her opinion. She was _disgusted_ by her cousin. He had no right to look at her sister the way he did! They were not some backwards hicks or something!

Collin, however, saw nothing wrong with dating—or even marrying—a cousin. He confided in his aunt, Claire, telling her of his plans. His way of making amends. Collin intended on dating one of his cousins, until the right time, when they'd marry. He was soon to be a pastor, he explained, and he'd set a better example in his parish if he had a wife. He'd be seen as an adult. More mature. Someone to look up to, as a pastor should be. That is why he intended to marry young. His studies gave him no time to waste going about and _meeting_ people, so he thought his best bet was to begin with someone he already had ties to. How lucky for him that he had five such ladies, all in the same house! He could just take one trip, and have a pool to pick from!

He'd immediately been taken with the eldest twin, as he thought he should be. In situations like this, with sisters, shouldn't the eldest always be the first to go?

Claire would not have it. "I'm sorry, Collin, but I'm afraid she already has a boy. One that she is _very_ interested in. Lizzie, on the other hand, is completely single! And let's be honest- she has practically no chance of ever getting a boyfriend."

With a disdainful look, Collin interrupted, "I can imagine why."

"Oh, no! She's a _lovely_ girl once you get to know her. Really, she is. You should give her a chance. An offer like this? You'd be more than she deserves. There's no way she can say no!"

Collin was thoughtful. "We'll see if her behavior improves. All those hoodwinks she pulled the first night would _not_ be acceptable for a pastor's wife!"

"She's still young. If you give her a year or two, she'll grow up. And you don't have to marry her right _now_. I'm sure you'd want her to graduate high school first."

"Oh, of course! I wouldn't want to distract her from her studies!"

"So you'll think about it?"

"Certainly. Who knows? _I_ think Elizabeth should be honored to have a man like me."


	11. Tag Along Collin? Efemmel

That Saturday, the girls planned to walk to the next town over, where there was a large boys' school. Since their own town was small, it wasn't far away. It was only a mile past Bingley's (and Charlotte's) neighborhood, as they lived on the outskirts of town. After about an hour and a half, they would be there!

Liz, Jane, Kat, and Lydia planned to leave early Saturday morning. They didn't know how early their cousin got up in the mornings, but they hoped they could sneak out before he noticed. The last thing they wanted was an hour with Collin, without a television or parents to distract him.

But that morning, as the four girls tried to creep out the front door, they were stopped by a voice in the kitchen.

"Girls! Where are you going?"

Father. Little known to his daughters, Mr. Bennet was desperate to be rid of his nephew. While the girls had been at school the last two days, Collin hovered around Mr. Bennet, wherever he went. The worst was when he followed him into his office, chatting nonstop. If there's one thing anyone knows about Mr. Bennet, it is that you _never_ go into his office, and you do _nothing_ to disturb him when he chooses to go inside. The office was Mr. Bennet's one place of peace, and he preferred it silent. He couldn't say that to a guest, especially to a nephew who was trying to make amends, and who held your future in his hands.

Jane dragged her sisters back to the entrance to the kitchen. Liz, Kat, and Lydia huddled behind her, as if she could protect them from their cousin. Liz was the most fearful. Last night, her cousin's strange looks had been transferred from Jane, to _her_. Nothing freaked her out more than her cousin, and his attention was downright _terrifying._

"Oh, we're just walking to Meryton. Lydia and Kat wanted to hang out with some friends of theirs at the academy."

"You'll need a chaperone!" Mr. Bennet boomed, playing the role of protective parent.

Horrified, Liz cowered behind her sisters. They'd never needed a chaperone to go to Meryton before . . . she knew her father hadn't ever wanted to be bothered. He certainly couldn't be bothered _now._ That could only mean one thing. . . . She felt dread grow in the pit of her stomach.

"A chaperone?" Lydia exclaimed, disgusted.

"Yes. You'll take your cousin!"

"Splendid idea, Uncle!" said the very man, who happened to be reading the paper with Mr. Bennet. (And by reading the paper with Mr. Bennet, I mean that Mr. Bennet held up the paper he was reading, and Collin stared at it, reading the opposite side. The first time this happened, Mr. Bennet nearly had a heart attack when he lowered the paper to see Collin peering at him in concentration)

Liz knit her eyebrows together, thinking in annoyance, _Splendid? Nobody talks like that anymore!_

Luckily for her, Liz never went anywhere without her iPod in her back pocket. A few whispers to Jane assured her that her sister didn't mind if she listened to it, even though she wished Liz would converse with the rest of them.

"I just can't take another two seconds, of the guy," she explained apologetically.

Jane sighed. "I know you can't. I guess I'd rather you shut us all out than end up biting his head off."

So it was settled. Collin would walk the girls to Meryton. When he saw her getting out her iPod, he frowned, and Lydia and Kat glared at her, wondering why they didn't they think of bringing their iPods too. Liz sort of smirked at the thought of Lydia having to endure an hour of Collin.

She decided to listen to Hit the Lights. The first song (entirely by coincidence) was Body Bag, but it helped relax Liz. She liked to listen to her music just a little too loud, so whenever Collin walked too close, he caught an earful of what, to him, sounded like angry, sinful, rock music. If Liz had known his opinion of her music, she probably would have been highly annoyed at his false conclusions, but she was off in la-la land.

The ninety minutes passed by rather quickly for her.

Once they were in Meryton, the girls texted one of their friends, Denny, to make sure he was awake. It wasn't long until they spotted him, walking around, with a boy the girls had never seen before.

This boy was tall, with spiked, brownish-red hair. He was dressed well, if a little oddly, in skinny jeans, a vest and a tie, chucks, and a plain white t-shirt. Denny looked much more casual, in the slouchier jeans skaters preferred, and a t-shirt and large cap.

The younger twins crossed the street, pretending to look at a dress in the window of a vintage shop that Liz and Jane frequented, and their older sisters followed. There, they "happened" to meet Denny and his friend. (They didn't even look to see if Collin was behind them)

Denny grinned brightly, seeing Lydia. "Hey, Lyds, Kat. What are your sister's names again?"

Liz bristled at bit. She'd met him before—_several _times, in fact—and he should've known her name by this point.

Lydia just smiled, "Liz and Jane, silly!"

"Oh, silly me," he laughed. "Guys, this is George Wickham. He just transferred to the academy."

George smiled at each of the girls in turn. "Hold on, let me make sure I have your names. Lyds- is that short for Lydia? Then Kat, Liz, and Jane."

Liz clapped slowly, lazily. "Good job, buddy. But which is which?"

"You're Liz, of course. To your left is Jane. Kat and Lydia are up front. The identical ones. But Kat has darker streaks in her hair."

"Wow," Liz allowed herself to smile. "I'm impressed."

"Don't be," George smiled back. "Names and faces aren't that hard. Once I've memorized your birthday and social security number, then you can be impressed."

Liz laughed. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was flirting with her. "All right then," she smiled coquettishly. "I refuse to be impressed by you until that very moment."

"A challenge," George raised his eyebrows with amusement. "I like that in a girl."

The sound of a motor on the road next to them distracted Liz momentarily—even more so when it remained stationary. The honk from the car distracted everyone else.

The girls turned, and smiled when they saw the car. Liz and Jane recognized the car alone, but Kat and Lydia recognized the people inside it.

"Hi Darcy!" Lydia waved brightly. "Hi, Charlie!"

Charlie smiled. "Hey, girls! How are you?"

While Lydia and Kat tittered to Charles, Jane nudged Liz, whispering, "Look at Darcy!"

Liz looked past Charlie to the passenger side, and her eyes widened. Darcy was glaring at them, jaw clenched, and face red with anger. Yeah, he didn't think she was pretty, but did he really _hate_ her?

Liz looked away, biting her lip, when she noticed George. The poor boy's eyes were wide in shock, his face completely white. A few glances back and forth assured her that is was George who Darcy was glaring at. But what could George have done to make Darcy hate him so much?

"So what brings you to Meryton?"

Liz was jolted out of her thoughts by Charlie calling to her sister.

"Just thought we'd get some exercise," Jane said, smiling shyly.

"Plus," Liz added dryly, "Lyds here had to see some 'friends.'" When she said the word "friends," her eyebrows tilted upwards just long enough to imply something a little more than friendship was going on.

Charlie chuckled. "Well, we were just picking up lunch for everyone else," he said, holding up a bag with the logo of a Mexican restaurant in town.

"We'd better get going," Darcy said brusquely.

Charlie nodded in agreement. "Of course. Great to see you, girls. Jane," he added with a smile her way. Jane couldn't be redder if she tried. She waved at him as he drove past, and didn't put her hand down until he was out of sight.

"You've got it _so_ bad," Lydia giggled, nudging her older sister.

"Shut up," Liz muttered, slapping Lydia on the back of the head. She was still deep in thought about Darcy and George. _Why _did Darcy hate him so much? If there was one thing Liz couldn't stand, it was a mystery.

If there was one thing Darcy was, it was a mystery.

* * *

The next afternoon, Liz walked into the bathroom she shared with her sisters to find Kat meticulously curling her hair. "Big date?" she asked with a smirk.

"Big _party_," Kat said, raising her eyebrows for effect.

"Can I come along? Or are the lame older sisters not invited?"

"Yeah, sure! You can be the designated driver!"

"Really, Katherine? Getting drunk on a school night?"

Kat rolled her eyes. "I have _keyboarding_ first block. It's such a bullshit class. I can sleep some of it off then, and second block, I have P.E. Exercise is supposed to be really good for hangovers. And I promise to drink lots of water," she added, raising her right hand as if swearing.

"I still don't like it," Liz said, shaking her head.

"I know you don't, little miss sober. You and Jane both. Which is why you make the perfect designated driver!"

Liz sighed, but nodded. "I'd rather drive you there than have you try to drive back drunk. I mean, you shouldn't be driving in the first place, _thirteen_-year old."

"Hmm? What was that? Who only has her permit?"

Liz rolled her eyes. "As if Claire or Dad cares. Besides. I'm a good driver."

"Sure thing, dessy!"

"Dessy?"

"Designated driver takes too long to say. The party starts early—at six—so you better get dressed!"

Liz looked down at her sweatpants and ratty t-shirt. "What? This isn't good enough?" she joked.

"Don't even go there," Kat warned, holding the curling iron menacingly. "Get going!"

Liz laughed as she walked back to her room. "Par_tayyy_," she sang as she entered the room.

Jane looked up from her book. "Really? On a Sunday night?"

"I know," Liz replied as she dug through her closet. "But somebody's gotta drive the terrible two. You know that."

"Better than them driving drunk, I suppose," Jane sighed, marking her place and joining Liz in looking for an outfit.

"At least this one starts early. We'll be there, and they'll be drinking, at six, and after a few hours, they'll be too drunk to realize we're making them leave at ten instead of two."

Jane shook her head sadly. "Where did they go wrong?"

"Dear old Mummy," Liz said dryly, pulling out an extremely loose white v-neck. She put it on over a black tank top with a strapless bra, letting the shirt hang off her shoulder and show the black straps. "Too slutty?"

Jane smirked. "For one of Kat and Lyd's parties? Not slutty enough."

Liz stuck her tongue out at her sister before putting on her skinniest skinny jeans (black) and her old blue Vans. Jane donned some more relaxed skinny jeans and a plain purple t-shirt. "Can I borrow your black Chucks again?"

The two girls knew better than to wear open-toed shoes to one of these events, and sandals were pretty much the only shoes Jane owned. The girls were the same shoe size, so they usually shared everything.

"Sure," Liz said, keeping her head completely still as she applied eyeliner.

Jane didn't need any makeup, so she finished up the chapter of her book while Liz finished up.

"What are you reading?"

"The Notebook."

"Again?" Liz laughed.

"It's romantic," Jane said indignantly.

Liz shook her head. "Nothing wrong with that. But isn't that the. . . oh, I dunno, five _hundredth_ time you've read that?"

"Five hundred and _sixth_, thank you very much."

Liz just smiled and put the finishing touches on her face. "Done!"

"Me too!" Jane said after five seconds, slamming the book shut. It was a paperback, so it didn't make that much of a noise. She followed her twin to the bathroom, where they rapped lightly on the door.

"I'm constipated!" Lydia yelled.

The elder sisters looked at each other with amusement before Liz called softly, "Lyds, it's me."

Lydia opened the door a crack and peeked out. "Oh. Come in!"

They slipped into the bathroom, where Kat was sitting on the counter. Lydia went back to what she'd been doing- putting on way too much bright red eyeshadow. The effect wasn't pretty.

"Are y'all about ready to leave?" Jane asked.

"Let my just finish this eye. . . and. . . _done!"_

"Finally," Kat muttered, rolling her eyes and hopping to the floor.

"We're going to the mall, okay guys?" Lydia whispered.

"You don't have to whisper, Lydia. We're the only ones in the room," Liz said with amusement.

"You don't _know_ that."

"Are you sober?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nevermind. The mall?"

"The mall," Lydia nodded firmly.

Liz and Jane left the bathroom first, clomping down the stairs as usual. Well, Liz clomped. Jane stepped delicately down each stair. "Lydia, Kat, come on! We're not gonna wait forever!" Liz yelled. All part of the act.

"Coming! _God!_" Lydia yelled down at them, and she and Kat hurried down after them.

Claire poked her head out of the living room. "Where are you going?"

"Mall," Liz said casually. "Can we borrow your car?"

"Sure!" she said brightly. The woman was an idiot.

Collin appeared in the doorway. "Might I come along? I'm running low on Selsun Blue."

Lydia and Kat didn't bother hiding their shudders, while Liz tried to keep her eye from twitching. "They don't really sell shampoo at the mall. . ." she said dryly.

"Um yeah, that's where you get _clothes_," Lydia said, rolling her eyes.

"You can run him by the Rite Aid on the way home!" Claire said cheerily, staring straight at Liz for some reason.

"Eckerd," she muttered angrily, ignoring her mother's look. She still hadn't gotten used to the Rite Aid takeover.

"Whatever," Claire shrugged.

"Mom, _no," _Lydia cried in dismay.

"Were you planning on driving, Elizabeth?" Collin asked.

"_Liz_ was planning on driving, yes," Liz replied. She cared more about correcting him than she cared about the fact that she was speaking in third person. And that it made her sound more insane than usual.

"Do you have your license?"

"Nope!" Liz said cheerily. "Now, if you'll excuse us. . ."

"That's illegal!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Kat rolled her eyes.

Sensing an opportunity, Claire pounced. "He's right! Liz, let Collin drive you."

"He doesn't know where the mall is," Liz protested weakly.

"Well then you'll just have to sit shotgun to give him the directions."

Liz exchanged a wary look with Jane. "You know, we don't really need to go to the mall on a school night anyway. . ."

"You're going." Her mother glared at her.

Liz knew that she'd been beat. She and her two younger sisters groaned in unison, "Ugh, FM_L_!"

"What does efemmel mean?" Collin asked.

"Nothing," Liz sighed. "Let's go."


	12. Rowdy Meryton Parties

"So how do we get to the mall?" Collin asked, driving ten miles under the speed limit.

Liz looked up from the dashboard, where she'd been bashing her head in frustration for the last five minutes. "Um, Lyd?"

"Turn left on Somerset."

"Why is Lydia telling me where to go? Why can't you?"

Liz was very tempted to continue slamming her head against the dash. Why did it matter who told him where to go? "I'm terrible with street names. Lydia's the only one who has them all memorized." Which was true. Liz was the worst at giving directions. She couldn't visualize the streets unless she was actually driving them, and she could never remember the names of all the roads. She was lucky she knew what street she lived on.

Collin turned his signal on a good five blocks before he actually had to. A car behind them blared its horn, then sped by moments later.

Liz decided that it was a good time to resume her head banging.

* * *

About an hour later (at least that's what it felt like), they reached the neighborhood where the party was located.

"We're in a neighborhood. Is the mall in a neighborhood?"

"No, you _dumbass_," Lydia snapped. She'd just about had enough of her cousin.

"It's a shortcut," Liz said quickly.

"My cousins are so clever," Collin said, smiling to himself.

"Um, yeah. . ." Liz drifted off. She was officially weirded out.

"Especially you, Elizabeth."

She couldn't take it anymore. "My name is _LIZ_!"

"But Elizabeth is such a beautiful name!"

"Then name your daughter Elizabeth! I'm Liz. _Liz_! L-I-Z. Liz. Get it? My name is Liz!"

"We get it. Your name is _Liz_."

"Shut up, Lydia."

"We're here!" Lydia shouted, ignoring her older sister.

Cars surrounded the biggest house Liz had ever seen. People were everywhere, swarming like ants. . . Smoking under the tree, making out on the porch, dancing drunkenly on the lawn. . . And it wasn't even 7 PM.

"Wow," Liz said blandly.

"This is not the mall," Collin frowned.

"We were never going to the mall, dipshit!" Lydia yelled as she ran from the car. Kat was soon after.

Liz and Jane were quick to hop out too, getting out before Collin could drive away with them. "See you later, Colls!" Liz said, waving.

Jane stared at the monstrous house. "Hide out in the attic?" she asked.

Liz nodded. "A house as big as this one is bound to have one."

Jane glanced back to the car, which hadn't moved. "You think he'll be okay?"

"Sure," Liz shrugged. "He'll go back home and try to tell on us, but Claire won't care, and Dad will act like there's nothing he can do."

"I hope that's what happens," Jane said softly. "He'd get murdered in a place like this."

"Or raped."

"That too."

The first person the girls saw when they entered the house was none other than George Wickham. He was sober, but the Coke in his hand was doubtlessly spiked with something. He saw them and his face lit up.

"Liz! Jane! Fancy meeting you here!"

"Hi George," Liz smiled. He was just _too_ cute. "We're about to go hide in the attic. Care to join us?"

"The _attic_?" he asked, looking incredulous.

"Yep! Have you ever been to a Meryton party before, George?"

"Never," he said, shaking his head.

"Well trust me when I say that they can get _pretty_ rowdy. It's better to hide until everyone either passes out or gets arrested."

"I'll take your word for it."

"You will? You're not going to stay and see for yourself?"

"Nah, I'll come hide out with you. No one here is nearly as interesting as you are," George said, grinning charmingly.

"Stop it," Liz waved a hand. "You're making me blush!"

Jane grabbed her other hand, pulling her sister closer. "Look!" she whispered in her ear. "Everyone's staring!"

Liz looked around and saw every female eye fixed on George. And a few boys' eyes. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who thought he was cute!

Liz smirked and pulled Jane along with her upstairs. She turned back to find George right behind them. "I'm coming! Don't worry!"

"I wasn't worried," she smiled.

The three made their way through the crowd, looking for a door in the ceiling.

"You know, some attics are walk-in," Jane pointed out. "We might try some of the doors." She had barely put one hand on a doorknob when George stopped her.

"I think I should look first. You know. . . just in case."

The girls looked at each other and made identical disgusted faces. He was right, of course. George opened the door a crack, peeked in, then quickly slammed it shut. "Nope! That's the studio."

"The studio?" Liz asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Yup! They _must_ be filming a porn in there. . . I've never seen people doing what they were doing in real life!"

Liz and Jane looked at each other and gasped a little, disgusted at first, but then found it hard not to smile.

They made their way down the hallway, George making comments about every room, and Liz and Jane trying not to laugh. Finally, at the end, he exclaimed, "Hey! It's not an attic, but it's empty!"

The sisters looked at each other. "Good enough," they said in unison, pushing past George. They were in an undecorated bedroom, most likely one of the _many_ guest rooms. Liz and Jane belly flopped onto the bed, giggling.

George chuckled as he locked the door. "We don't want anyone barging in, looking for, um, a bed. . ."

"No, not at all!" Liz laughed at his nervous pause.

"So," George made his way to the bed, sitting gingerly on one side of it. "What now?"

"Now," Liz said as she folded her arms behind her head, getting comfortable, "We wait."

* * *

After a few hours of talking about things like school and music, Jane left for the bathroom and George got serious.

"So, how far is Meryton from your house?"

"It's about an hour and a half to walk. Usually it passes by quickly, but the minutes were really dragging by yesterday. We were stuck with our freaky cousin," she rolled her eyes. "And believe me when I say _freaky_."

George laughed, but wouldn't be distracted. "So, how long has Darcy lived here?"

Liz thought. "Well, he and the Bingleys moved in about. . . three months ago? I hear he's a big hotshot out west."

"Yeah, he's due to inherit a _shit_ ton of money when he turns 18. He'll get his dad's company and everything! You're actually talking to the expert on all things Darcy," he drifted off with a dry laugh. "I've known his family since I was pretty much _born._"

Liz's jaw dropped.

"Yeah, I'll bet you're surprised, especially after what happened yesterday. Do you, uhh, know Darcy well?"

"As well as I'd ever want to! I was stuck in the same house as him for an entire _weekend_. It was torture!" she said grinning, only partially joking. "He's such an asshole!"

"Well, I shouldn't have an opinion about him. . . I've known him too long and I'd be totally biased. . . but you probably shouldn't go around saying things like that. You're not in the majority opinion."

"Really?" Liz sat up in surprise. "That's crazy, because everyone else here agrees with me! No one can stand that ego of his!"

"Really?" George raised his eyebrows. "Wow then. You hicks are smarter than I thought," he teased.

"Hey, just because I live south of the Mason-Dixon line. . . and grow my own veggies . . . and say "y'all" all the time. . . that doesn't mean you can call me a hick!"

"Don't you mean "y'all can call me a hick'?"

Liz shuddered. "No. Ew. First thing non-southerners get wrong about us. Y'all is not interchangeable with you. You never, ever, ever, ever, _ever_, _**ever**_ use y'all in the singular tense. It's only to be used when referring to more than one person. You have _no_ idea how much that bugs me! I read a book once, written by a New Yoker, of _course_, and the main character's best friend was from Georgia. You'll never _guess_ how she used y'all!"

"Singularly?"

"You guessed! If a real Southerner had written that, they'd have _known_ not to use y'all for one person."

George raised his right hand solemnly. "I swear, I will _never_ make that mistake."

"Be sure that you don't," Liz nodded.

There was a frenzied knocking at the door, interrupting whatever George was going to say. "Liz? Come quick!"

Liz got off the bed and hurried to the door. "Jane? What is it?"

When she opened the door, Jane's eyes were wide with fear and her hair was mussed. "It's Collin! He-"

"Say no more," Liz said darkly, pushing past her sister. How _typical_ of the socially awkward moron to ruin her night!

She stomped down the stairs without looking to see if Jane or George were following. When she reached the main living room, she found a group of huge guys huddled together. All were either on the football, soccer, or lacrosse team. Some were on more than one. She could only assume that Collin was in there somewhere.

"All right!" she yelled over the music. Everyone heard her perfectly. "_What_ is going on in here?"

"Heyyyy Lizzy!" Denny turned around, Lydia hanging off his arm, looking half-dead. "Howsit goin?"

Liz crossed her arms and stared him down (figuratively, of course. He was at _least_ a foot and a half taller than her). "What are y'all doing, Denny?"

"Nothin! Jus havin a little fun!"

Liz groaned and pushed past him. She forced her way through the huge blob of men, using her elbows. "Move _over_! Yeah, I mean you, Mr. Muscles. Go find some chick to hook up with, okay?"

"Elizabeth? Is that you?"

He'd called her _Elizabeth_ again. She paused. Did she _really_ wanna rescue the brat? She finally sighed, and continued pushing. She kinda had no choice. As much as she hated him, the guy was family.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's _Liz_."

"Don't worry! I have this all under control. Just give me a moment to talk to these boys. I'm sure they'll see reason soon."

"You little dumbshit," she muttered to herself, following Collin's creepy little voice.

"What was that, cousin dear?"

Liz actually shuddered with disgust. "Nothing! Now, stay still so I can get you out of here."

"I do not need your help, Elizabeth."

"_LIZ!_"

"I am a man, and I can function perfectly well on my own, thank you very much."

"Yeah, which is why you're being suffocated by a bunch of dumb jocks!"

The guy closest to Liz glared at her. "Oh, I didn't mean you, buddy. You look like the smart jock type," she said with a wink, and moved quickly past him.

She finally reached Collin, who was being pushed around by the guys in the very center. They were yelling all sorts of unrepeatable things to him, insulting him in every way possible.

"Hey guys!"

Some of the guys turned to look at Liz. A few of them recognized her—"Hey, you're that girl from the Lewis party. The one who sang Taylor Swift!"—and the rest of them recognized her as Lydia's (or Kat's) sister. She received various different greetings from all of them.

"Hey, so I know this guy is really . . . annoying, but he's kinda my cousin," she grimaced, "and I kinda have to bring him home in one piece. So if you don't mind," she drifted off with a sheepish smile as she jerked her head towards the door.

"He was hitting on my girl!" one of the jocks—a lacrosse guy—yelled.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Come on, do you really think he's capable of that? I doubt he even knows what hitting on someone means! Just. . . let us get out of your hair, okay?"

"Y'all will leave?"

"As soon as we find my sisters," Liz nodded.

One of the guys pushed Kat forward. Liz hadn't even noticed her.

"Jane!" Liz yelled over the sea of heads.

"Yeah?"

"Get Lydia! We're leaving!"

"Okay!"

"So, boys. May I have the little creeper?" Liz asked, turning back to the large athletic types.

"Take him," another one of the guys said as he shoved Collin into Liz. Liz could smell the sweat on Collin's body. Maybe that's what people meant when they mentioned the smell of fear?

"Yeah, this is getting boring."

"You can only insult a guy so many times, huh?" Liz sympathized. "Alright, well thanks. Come on, Kat! We're going for a drive!"

"Yayyyy," Kat mumbled, about to pass out.

"Oh yeah. Bed time."

Liz pushed through the crowd, an arm on Kat and an eye on Collin at all times. Once they'd made it all the way outside, Collin turned to her, looking angry.

"I had everything under control."

"Listen, Collin," Liz sighed. "I don't know what kind of guys you're used to, but these aren't those guys, okay? They—"

"I appreciate your concern, Elizabeth—"

"It's fucking Liz," she growled.

"—but I'm fairly sure I know what I'm talking about. How old are you? Fifteen? You're hardly old enough to know anything. . . and a _girl_ at that."

The little shit had the smuggest tone of voice, and the most annoying little smirk that Liz had ever seen. Words couldn't describe how badly she wanted to punch the kid. Before she got the chance, a fist appeared out of nowhere, hitting Collin in the side of the head. Liz couldn't help but let out a little shriek as Collin crumpled to the ground.

She turned to see George beside her, glaring down at Collin. She gaped at him.

"Is he dead?"

"No, just unconscious. He was _really_ getting on my nerves."

"Mine too, but you don't see me punching him!"

George shrugged it off. "He'll be fine. You should probably go now, before you start any more trouble."

Liz turned to glare at him, but his eyes were twinkling. "That last bit of trouble was all you," she muttered, punching his arm. "Wanna carry him to the car for me?"

"_Sure_," he sighed. "Jeez, Liz. Making more trouble!"

"Shut _up!_" Liz whined, watching as he easily scooped up the scrawnier boy.

"So where's your car?"

"Uh," Liz halted in her tracks. "I dunno."

Luckily for her, a car honked from the street, and it just so happened to be Jane. "There!" she grinned, pointing.

"What should I do with him?" George asked, looking at the backseat where Lydia and Kat were sprawled, taking up the entire bench. The only other empty seat was shotgun.

"Just stick him on the floor," Liz said, smirking. "He should be fine."

George followed her instructions, and turned to the sophomore. "Any chance I'll see you around, trouble-maker?"

"There's a good chance that we'll be walking back to Meryton next Saturday," she smiled back. "Maybe we could do lunch."

"Maybe."

"Do you think you'll be able to pencil me into your busy schedule?"

"I'll do my best," George grinned. "Do you think we can make it a one-on-one thing?"

Liz paused, surprised. Then she smiled. "Alright. . . Yeah, okay. Sounds good!"

"Good!" George nodded awkwardly.

"Alright," she laughed, stepping into the car. "Seeya!"

As soon as she slammed the door shut, they were _gone_.


	13. Wickham and his Woes

The week passed rather slowly for Liz. Collin couldn't seem to get over the fact that he, a man, had been rescued by his _younger, __**female**_ cousin.

During the week, she and Jane kept busy. The Lucas family must've thought the twins wanted to move in, with all the time they were spending at Charlotte's house. Every single school day, they went straight home with Charlotte and stayed until dinnertime. Once they'd eaten with their own family, they'd dashed upstairs, claiming "homework."

Normally, Jane wouldn't be pleased with this kind of deception, but she could see how much her cousin freaked Liz out, and she'd rather have her twin happy than Creepy Collin.

Once Saturday arrived, Jane distracted her family so that Liz could slip out to make her date with George. As she was walking out the front door, she heard Collin quoting scripture. . . Jane had asked him to demonstrate one of his sermons for her. Liz _so_ owed her.

She walked quickly down the road, hoping to make some distance before anyone noticed she was gone.

After about an hour (or maybe less) she'd made it to Netherfield place. Two thirds done, she thought to herself in relief.

She'd just barely passed the house when Darcy walked out. Liz was surprised to see him, but he was unshaken, ambling over to her slowly, hands stuffed in the pockets of his peacoat.

"What's up?" she asked softly, standing in the middle of the street.

He shrugged as he walked. The gesture was normal for a teenager, but seemed awkward and unpracticed on him. "Just another Saturday with nothing to do," he replied. "What about you?"

Liz rolled her head in a gesture to the road beyond his house. "Just walking to Meryton."

Darcy frowned. "You shouldn't be walking so far alone."

"It's a small town," she said, smiling awkwardly. What was with all this attention from him? "I should be fine," she added, not knowing what else to say. Was he worried about her? Or perhaps he'd just been bred too well to leave her alone, whether he cared about her or not. Or maybe. . . Just maybe. . . He didn't dislike her as much as she believed?

"I'll walk with you," he said suddenly, and then looked as if he wished he could take it back. The words had come out of his mouth without any thought about them beforehand.

"You don't need to do that," Liz replied quickly, noticing the regret on his face, and somehow feeling bad. She didn't care about him! She didn't! He was a jerk to her! But at the same time . . . she couldn't deny how attractive he was. . . jerk or not.

Darcy appeared conflicted, then shook his head. "No, I want to. Really."

"Okay," Liz smiled hesitantly. "Thanks."

Darcy nodded gruffly, and began walking next to her—on the _street_ side of the sidewalk, Liz noticed. Did he know that it was a form of chivalry? Or maybe he didn't realize what he was doing. . .

"So," Liz started, a playful spark in her eye. "How is the 'small town' life treating you?"

Darcy couldn't help but laugh, remembering the conversation with her mother. "It's more entertaining than I thought it would be," he admitted.

"Can it compare to California?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet. You know, I've lived in California my entire life, up until now. I'm still getting used to the east coast way of life."

Liz nodded solemnly. "It can be quite a culture shock. For example, here, people actually _work _for a living, instead of spending the whole day at the beach." She couldn't help it. She couldn't resist teasing him.

Darcy glared at her, and for a moment, she thought he was genuinely insulted. Then he said, "Yeah, I know how hard it must be for you to imagine a life where you actually have money. . . and don't have to shoot your own dinner."

Liz feigned an indignant gasp. "Is _that_ what you think of us? Well at least I don't have to pay for my tans!"

"At least my tan is all over. . . not just on my arms and neck," he shot back, smirking.

"Callin' me a redneck?"

"If the boots fit. . ." Darcy drifted off, giving her a meaningful look.

"Wear 'em to the honky tonk," she finished for him.

Liz couldn't keep the grin from her face. She'd never had this much fun arguing with someone before! Most people she talked to didn't give her much of a challenge, but whenever she flung something at Darcy, he could give her a reply instantly.

The teased each other a bit more, and for a long while they were silent, but it was a pleasant, friendly kind of silence. Until Darcy went and broke it by awkwardly clearing his throat, about five minutes from their destination.

"So. . . Why are you walking to Meryton all by yourself?"

Liz bit her lip. She'd almost forgotten! She was on her way to a date with George, but there she was, flirting with Darcy_. Darcy_, who hadn't had a nice word for her when they first met. . . And _George_, who'd been nothing _but_ nice. And weren't first impressions everything?

"I'm on my way to a date," she said tersely.

Misinterpreting the source of her anger, Darcy exclaimed, "A date? And he's making you walk?"

Liz frowned. "Well, I don't think he knew I'd be walking. . ."

"Still! That's not the way you treat a lady! If it had been me—" here, he broke off abruptly.

"You think I'm a lady?" Liz asked sweetly, but on the inside, all she could think about were the words she'd overheard, that very first day.

Darcy turned to stare incredulously at her, and Liz tried to hold her ground, tried to keep those blue eyes from affecting her. "Of _course_ I do."

"Really? You don't think I'm _unattractive?_ Not _pretty_ enough for you?"

Darcy's entire demeanor changed, his body stiffening completely. "Who did you hear that from?" he asked in a low voice. Liz thought he was angry at being found out. She couldn't imagine his thoughts—which were really about all the ways he'd punish Caroline. _He_ thought she'd gone and blabbed some of his stupid, inaccurate opinions, back before he realized how beautiful Liz really was.

"You. From your own mouth!"

Darcy was shocked. He could only stare at her in surprise.

"Don't remember? How about the first day of school. Before classes started? I'm sure you remember now."

He did remember. And he wanted to kick himself for it. He didn't know what he was talking about, back then. "Liz, you must know . . . I didn't—"

"I don't care," she said, interrupting him. "I've got a date to get to, and I'm sure you've got much better things to. . ."

She turned, and saw that they were already in Meryton. "Your job is done," she added. "I'm here. The both of us should get going."

"Liz. . ." he drifted off, then sighed. She turned to look him in the eye, to tell him once again to leave, but she was struck dumb by the earnest look in his beautiful blue eyes.

Liz gazed up at Darcy, unable to move, and cussing in her head. _Why_ did he affect her this way? She should be strong! Aloof! She shouldn't care! _He_ didn't care. . . Why should she?

"I'm sorry," Darcy said slowly, his voice deep and gruff. He kept her eye a moment longer, his gaze burning her, then spoke once more. "Be careful, alright?"

"I can take care of myself," she spat back at him.

"I know," he said, laughing bitterly. "I know. Just . . . remember that. Sorry."

Ducking his head awkwardly, he turned on his heel and walked away. And gone. Just like that.

Running a hand through her hair in agitation, Liz spun around, letting out her breath in a huff. She watched the cloud form, and breathed again, pretending she was a dragon.

"Cute."

She spun around in shock to find George smirking at her. "Hey," she breathed, blushing as she smiled. Hopefully, he'd think it was from the cold.

"Hey yourself," he said, walking closer. "Took you a while to get here."

"Yeah, I walked." Then, wondering if he'd react the same way as Darcy did, she added, "Alone."

"Cool," he nodded. "Exercise is good."

"Yeah," Liz said slowly, deflating a little bit.

"Wanna go to Charlie's?" he asked, naming a relatively pricey restaurant. "My treat," he added with a grin.

"Sure," she replied with a smile, wondering what she'd been so worried about.

Okay, yeah, Darcy had been worried about her safety and George hadn't, but Darcy shouldn't have been worried in the first place! Like she told him, it was a small town. There weren't any predators, lying in wait to abduct girls like her. . . and plus, George was offering to pay for lunch! A _nice_ lunch. He was a good guy.

She walked beside him down the sidewalk. She couldn't help noting that she was the one on the side closest to the street, but she tried to shake the disappointed feeling away. Guys nowadays didn't do things like that. Especially not in high school. It must've been a fluke when Darcy did it.

Or at least that's what she told herself.

They were seated quickly, and it didn't take long for their orders to arrive. After quite a bit of pleasant conversation, the topic turned to something George really wanted to talk about. . . but something Liz didn't even want to think about.

"So, Darcy," George said after burping—only excusing himself after Liz gasped, "_George!_"

"How much longer is he gonna stay here?" he asked.

Liz shrugged noncommittally. "No idea. When I was over at Charlie's house, none of them said anything about leaving any time soon." Hoping to change the subject, she added, "What about you? You planning to stay here? Or did he scare you away?" she teased.

"Scare me away? Psh! Never. If _he_ wants to avoid _me_, he can go. Wherever the hell he wants! In case you didn't notice. . . we're not exactly friends."

"_Whaaaaat?_" Liz asked, heavily sarcastic. "I had _no_ idea!"

George made a face at her. "Ha ha, very funny. But really. _I_ did nothing to _him._"

He paused, looking deeply into Liz's eyes. She tried to pretend that they stole her breath the way Darcy's did, but they just weren't the same. She settled on studying him instead. He seemed conflicted.

"Do you want to know what happened between him and I?"

"Him and me," Liz said reflexively, then blushed. Correcting his grammar at a moment like this! His jaw tightened, but he showed no other signs of being annoyed at her smart-assedness.

"Yes, I'd love to know. If you want to tell me," she added quickly.

The side of his mouth tilted upwards briefly before he dove into his story. "It all starts with Darcy's dad. . . William Darcy junior. The Darcy we all know and 'love' is the third. Darcy jr. was like a father to me . . . and Darcy the third was like my brother. But when I was only twelve, both of my parents died in a car crash and I was given up to the state."

"Oh my god," Liz gasped. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," he said with a sad smile. "It was a while ago. I'm okay now. But back then, I was devastated. Darcy jr. had a lot to deal with, raising two kids all on his own, so he couldn't adopt me as well, but he kept in touch. He promised that when I wanted to go to college, he'd give me enough money for four years at any Ivy League school I wanted, and a little extra to live comfortably once I was out."

"Wow, that's very generous of him," Liz said raising her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah. But he and his wife had been best friends with my parents, and like I said, I was like a second son of his. Sometimes, I even think he might've liked me more than his _own_ son. Darcy. . . he's always been moody and arrogant. He didn't just grow up and turn that way."

Liz thought for a moment about the feeling of your parent loving another child more than you. She knew her mother would love her sisters more than she'd ever love Liz. . . she couldn't imagine if the child was someone else's. She knew exactly how Darcy felt. But this wasn't Darcy's sob story. . . it was George's.

"It peaked when he turned 16 though," George continued. "That summer, he filed for legal emancipation from his father."

"What?" Liz asked eyes wide. She didn't know that! Then again. . . she knew nothing of Darcy. Such as why he was living with the Bingleys.

"Yeah. Won it too. Broke his father's heart. The whole process took until about November. Happy Thanksgiving, huh?"

"Oh my God."

"His dad was literally sick with misery. . . His children were all he had left, you see. That January. . . William Darcy jr. died, leaving everything to Darcy. Of course, since he was sixteen, it was mainly locked away, not to be touched until he was of legal age."

"Did he do it for the money?" Liz asked before thinking. How would legal emancipation get you more money? Unless he knew his father would die because of it. . . But George didn't think it was a stupid question.

"I can't say. . . But his father_ was_ one of the richest men in California, if not the richest. His mother was a Vanderbilt, and in addition to the fortune he had from her, he went and made even _more_ billions of dollars with the computer company he founded in the seventies. _That_ belongs to Darcy as well."

"Is this why you hate him?" Liz asked, totally engrossed in the story.

George laughed. "No! It gets better! Or should I say worse? When I heard Darcy jr. died, I convinced my foster parents to let me go out to California for the funeral. While I was there, I asked Darcy the third if there was any way I could get that college money his father had promised me. That was the only way I could go to a good college! But he said no, that it wasn't in the will, and he didn't feel like giving it to me . . . _and_ he banned me from the funeral."

"_What?_"

"Yeah. He wouldn't even give me a single penny. So now I'm poor. . . Destined for a blue collar career, unless I get a scholarship somewhere, which is highly unlikely."

"Oh George," Liz said softly, gazing sadly at him. How could Darcy be such a fiend? Calling her ugly was one thing, but ruining the future of a childhood friend? No matter how jealous you are, that's just not right!

"I don't know why he hates me so much! All I know is that he does," George said, hanging his head.

"George, with how rich his dad was, you could probably go to the press. . . they would _love_ a story like that! You could get revenge on him. . ."

"No," George said, shaking his head. "I believe that he'll get his some day. . . But it won't be by me. I cared for his father too much, and I wouldn't want to do anything to taint his memory. Karma has a way of working, I suppose."

Hearing him say that made Liz want to cry. . . or swoon. He was such a bigger man! If it were her, she'd want to tell everyone she knew. . . and some she didn't. But George? He was being more of a gentleman than Darcy and his chivalry could ever be.

"I never would've imagined that Darcy could do something like this! I mean, yeah, he's got that holier-than-thou attitude, and seems to just not like people in general, but to do something so _wrong?_"

George watched her silently as she thought. "There was that day at the Bingleys' . . . He said he had a horrible temper. Resentful, even. That he rarely forgave, and that he got angry very, very easily. He must be a terrible person to be around."

"I'm not exactly the best judge of that. . ." he drifted off.

"I just can't believe it," Liz murmured, more to herself than to George. She was thinking about the pleasant conversation she'd had with Darcy. . . or, pleasant for a while. She went over every time she'd ever seen him, trying to connect this heinous crime to the supposed criminal.

After much thought about Darcy and his pride, she decided that it must be true. George had nothing to gain from lying to her. He'd been so nice to her from the moment they met. . . he _had _to be trustworthy. He had to.

When the waiter came with the check, George patted all his pockets, looking at Liz in dismay. "Liz, my wallet. . ."

The waiter gave Liz a pitying look. She could almost hear him saying, "Poor girl. Doesn't even know she's being played." She glared at him.

"I'm sure this is just a one time thing," she said to George, keeping on eye on the waiter and his knowing expression.

"Oh yeah, totally! I can't believe I didn't check that I had my wallet before I left. . . I'm such a dumbass! No wonder Darcy wouldn't give me the money. . . he knew I couldn't handle it properly!"

Liz shook her head as she pulled out her wallet, thanking God that she'd thought to bring it just in case. "Darcy's an asshole and you know it," she said to George. Then, as she handed that waiter her debit card, she hissed, "Stop looking at me like that!"

"Thanks so much Liz! I owe you one!"

Liz raised her eyebrow. "You owe me more than_ one_." And she looked pointedly at the bill.

"Of course, of course! I'll pay you right back. I _hate_ being in debt!"

Then George shook his head sadly. "I just can't believe I'm making you pay. I'm such a jerkoff."

"Yeah, you kinda are," Liz smirked.

Once the waiter came back with her card, Liz stood awkwardly. "Alright, well, I'm just gonna walk home now. . . _Alone_," she added in a whisper.

"Have fun," George said with a smile and hugged her goodbye.

As she walked alone on the sidewalk, Liz couldn't help but think of an insufferable, loathsome, prideful, downright evil man who ruined his best friend . . . and who cared enough to walk her to Meryton.


	14. The Moment's Magic Swept Us Away

As soon as she got home, Liz told Jane the whole story. Jane was shocked, and worried in her own little way. She couldn't believe that Darcy was capable of such a thing, but she didn't want to accuse George of lying . . . so she didn't know what to think.

"Maybe they both misunderstood the circumstances. Maybe it's not as bad as it seems," she fretted.

"I think you're just going to have to face it, Janey. _Someone_ did something wrong here. Everyone can't be as sweet as you are, oh darling sister of mine," Liz said, fluttering her eyelashes.

Jane pegged her with her stuffed rabbit. "Laugh all you want, _Elizabeth_, but I just don't think Darcy could've done that! He couldn't be such good friends with Charlie otherwise."

Liz threw the bunny back at her sister at the use of her full name. "It's easier to believe that Charlie doesn't know everything than it is to think George made all that up. You should've seen him, Jane. He looked sincere."

"I just don't know what to think," Jane murmured, running her fingers over the rabbit's fur.

"Yeah, well, I know _exactly_ what to think," Liz huffed, pulling her own stuffed animal—a lion—close to her chest.

"You don't know that, though," Jane said softly.

"Trust me, Jane. I know _exactly_ what Darcy's capable of. . . And what George isn't."

* * *

Later that week, Charlie's mother phoned Mr. Bennet. She would be flying out of town on the night of Charlie's party (just a day after Thanksgiving—the very next Friday!) and she wanted to know if Mr. and Mrs. Bennet would like to chaperone.

Liz knew that her parents would be terrible chaperones. Her own mother would probably get drunker than most of the kids there, and her father would be oblivious to everything going on. For that reason, Liz suspected that Caroline suggested the Bennet parents.

All the same, they agreed, and Ms. Bingley relaxed.

Thanksgiving was an awkward affair. Liz tried her best to shovel her food down to escape Collin's ever-watchful eyes, but every time she put too big a bite on her fork, Claire slapped the back of her head.

Mr. Bennet continued to ask Collin about his Lady Catherine, and Collin continued to praise her. Then, he asked him a question that made Liz's ears perk up.

"So, Collin. Are you going to be attending the Bingleys' party tomorrow?"

"I have no reason why I should not. As a matter of fact, I would love to have the honor of dancing with each and every one of my fair cousins."

Liz almost inhaled a turkey bone.

"That sounds like a _wonderful_ idea, Collin! Though, you might not get a chance to dance with Lydia or Kat. They're very popular girls for their age! Just like their mother," Claire said, chuckling.

"Fair enough!" Collin chirped. "Elizabeth, I'd like to share the first and last dances with you. I'm sure your sister will not be offended."

Liz _actually_ inhaled a turkey bone. Coughing and sputtering, she slapped herself on the back until Jane offered a single well-placed swat, clearing her airway completely. "Thanks," she gasped.

"Anytime," Jane replied, eyes twinkling.

"How magnificent!" Claire crowed.

Liz was starting to see that whatever Collin had up his sleeve, her mother was in on. She very quickly came to fear for her life.

* * *

The night of the party, Jane and Liz began getting ready a couple of hours in advance.

Jane went with a sweet, floral, denim dress and soft, cotton sandals. The jewelry she added had a floral theme as well, matching her sweet disposition. She wanted to look pretty for Charlie—and she certainly achieved her goal.

Liz's goal was to piss Collin off. Kat let her borrow a _short_ red miniskirt, but the matching graphic tee, the five inch black leather heels, and the black leather jacket were all hers. As an afterthought, she added a single necklace—a lock. Maybe Collin would catch the hint. . . that she was unobtainable?

They had their clothes and hair ready with an hour to spare, which they spent perfecting their makeup. Jane wore hardly any, but she wore more than usual, as it was a special occasion. And though she rarely wore it on herself, Jane was an expert at makeup, and gave Liz the perfect dark, sultry, smoky eyes. Liz was tempted to wear lipstick to match the skirt, but Jane assured her that the eyes were enough.

Before they knew it, it was party time.

Until Liz was in the Bingleys' house, she never imagined that George wouldn't be there. She looked in vain for his red hair, until Denny appeared.

"Who you lookin' for?" he asked.

"George," she said distractedly, still glancing around.

"George went up to the city. Urgent business. Although," he said with an infuriating smirk, "It probably wouldn't be as urgent if a certain _person_ wasn't here."

Liz barely had the time to dwell on that, as Collin hurried up to her almost immediately.

"May I have this dance, madam?" he asked, bowing. Then, straightening up, a dismayed (and slightly disgusted) look crossed his face. "My dear cousin. . . _What_ are you wearing?"

Liz tried her hardest not to smirk. Her father and Collin had left in Mr. Bennet's car because the girls were taking too long getting ready, and Mrs. Bennet had taken them all to the party later, so this was the first time Collin had seen her all dressed up.

"You don't like it? It took me hours to find the right outfit!" Liz fretted.

"I-I-I. . ." Collin gulped when Liz stretched her legs—very long for someone of her stature. Liz was very short, but her legs sure weren't. The mini skirt and death-trap heels were doing nothing to hide the fact, either.

"Come on, Col, let's dance!" Liz sashayed onto the dance floor, not even looking to see if Collin was following her. As she walked out, the song changed to 3 by Britney Spears.

Surrounded by people, Liz danced as if no one was watching. She spun around to find Collin bouncing awkwardly to the fast music. He moved closer to her, trying to dance _with_ her but Liz wasn't having any of it. If she could just get through the song without actually touching Collin, it would be an achievement.

Liz danced as if she were partnerless. She spun and dipped and shook her "thang." Collin, however, didn't seem to know how to dance at all. He'd bob his head off-rhythm, step on people's feet, and he even threw in some disco moves from time to time. It was the most mortifying thing Liz had ever endured. Finally, three minutes later (it felt like three _hours_) the song was over.

"Woah! Would you look at that? Songs over. Thanks for dancing, see ya later, bye!"

"Oh! uh—"

But Liz was already gone. A boy from Meryton Academy asked her to dance next, and they danced to Justin Bieber's One Time, laughing and talking the entire time. The boy, Marc, knew George and Liz was happy to hear that just about everyone in the academy liked him. He needed all the friends he could get.

She left the dance floor feeling much more refreshed and exhilarated than she'd felt after her first dance. Charlotte met her at the edge of the crowd, grabbing her hands. "Look at _you!_" Charlotte grinned. "You little hottie!"

Liz laughed. "It was purely for Collin."

Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "Your cousin?"

Liz shook her head. "No, no, not what you're thinking. I just wanted to piss him off!"

"Ah. I think it worked."

Charlotte pointed over to the corner, where Collin was standing, glaring at Liz. She turned, saw him, and grimaced. "I think he's jealous of Marc. . ."

"Which is weird, right?"

"Yeah." Liz made a disgusted face. "I don't know how to act around him. . . I mean, he's my _cousin_!"

"Yeah . . . _and_ he's coming this way."

"_What?_" Liz spun around and saw Collin attempting to make his way to her through all the people. "Charlotte! Can you please distract him or something?"

"Maybe. . . ."

"Charlotte!"

"Liz."

Liz turned around to find. . . Darcy! He was looking extra irresistible in a plain white t-shirt, tight black jeans, and a leather jacket. He looked at her outfit, then down at himself. "We match," he stated with a quirk of his lips.

"Um, yeah," Liz said distractedly, turning to see how much closer Collin was getting.

"Liz?"

"Yes?" Liz turned back to Darcy, smiling sweetly.

"Dance with me? Next slow song?"

Anxious to run away, Liz nodded. "Yeah, yeah, sure thing!"

If Liz had been paying attention, she would've seen Darcy's face light up. Since she wasn't, all she saw was Collin inching closer. Darcy could tell that she was distracted, so he said a quick goodbye and hurried away.

When Liz turned to see him gone, she grabbed Charlotte's arm and made a break for it. "In here!" she said, diving into a bathroom. Once they were inside, she locked the door behind her and relaxed against it with a sigh of relief.

"What just happened out there with Darcy?" Liz turned to Charlotte.

"You don't know?" Charlotte asked with a grin. Liz simply shook her head. "You really have no idea what you just agreed to?" Charlotte's grin grew wider.

"No, Char, I _really_ don't know. Now will you tell me, or are you gonna make me beg for it?"

Charlotte hopped in place. "Ohhh, this is just too good!"

"Wow. You really just sounded like Syndrome from The Incredibles. Now would you _please_ let me know what's going on?"

Charlotte smirked, speaking very slowly. "_Darcy_ just asked _you_ to dance!"

"And what did _I _say?"

Charlotte snorted with laughter. "_You_ said . . . . yes!"

"_What?"_

"Don't worry. . . I'm sure you'll have a splendid time. . . considering he asked specifically for the next _slow_ dance."

Liz simply groaned as she slid down the door into a sitting position. "Why me?" she asked the ceiling.

Charlotte chuckled to herself. "Really, I'm sure you'll be fine. Maybe you'll even come to like him!"

Liz glared up at Charlotte. "There's a problem with that. . . See, I _want_ to hate him. I _like_ hating him! To like him? I would hate that! You wouldn't want for me. . . would you?"

Charlotte laughed, offering Liz a hand to help her up. "Come on. That slow song could be starting any minute now. You don't want to be rude and miss it, do you?"

And before Liz could stop her, Charlotte unlocked the door and pulled her friend out into the party. The song currently playing was getting to its end, making Liz tense up.

Noticing this, Charlotte said, "Now don't let your feelings for George get in the way of starting something with Darcy. If he likes you as much as I think he does. . . Well, he's a _pretty_ powerful highschooler. Not to mention rich. And sexy."

Liz turned to stare at her friend in shock, and couldn't help laughing when she saw Charlotte wiggle her eyebrows.

The song drew to a close. The next song started with some familiar slow-sounding piano. Liz cursed in her head when Darcy suddenly appeared at her side. "Liz?"

She nodded silently, allowing him to take her hand and lead her onto the dance floor, as an acoustic guitar bit began.

They stopped, arranging themselves in the typical slow dance position, when the singer came in for the first time.

"_I keep your picture by my bed for when I'm feeling sad and I don't know why I would be."_

Everyone around them was gawking. They just couldn't seem to believe that the uptight _Darcy_ was dancing. With Liz of all people! Liz could hardly believe it herself. She couldn't believe the warmth of his body. . . Or the way she was starting to sweat beneath her jacket. She couldn't believe how nice his leather jacket felt against her bare wrists. . . or how well his hands fit her hips. She _definitely_ couldn't believe the shivers he was giving her, and how those very shivers somehow made her feel that much warmer.

"_The way your smile looks so real, I feel like I could start to understand your grace."_

They danced for a while without speaking. Liz thought for a while about staying silent, to get back at him for affecting her this way, but then decided that it would annoy him even more if she talked to him.

"'_Cause I have photographs and memories of the times—"_

"I love this song."

"_You weren't on my mind—"_

"It sounds very romantic," Darcy said, nodding.

"_And I was alone."_

When Liz wasn't looking, he grimaced. _Why_ did he bring romance up? Way to make things _awkward!_

Liz looked down, hoping he didn't see the way her cheeks heated up when he mentioned romance, suddenly all-too aware of his hands. She'd never guess it, but Darcy was blushing _just _as badly as she was, hoping _she_ wouldn't notice _him!_

"_I have poetry and drawings of my life when you weren't on my side and I didn't know just what is love."_

Liz felt exceedingly more awkward by the second. Before she could stop herself, she said, "It's _your_ turn to talk now. _I_ talked about the music. . . Maybe you could compare the song to one you know. . . or you could make some sort of observation about the party, or the people in it."

Darcy couldn't help but smile at the typical Liz remark. "I'll say whatever you want me to. Just name it."

"—_keeps my mind away from missing you."_

"I suppose that will have to do for now. Maybe later I'll say something about how great this house is for parties. . . but for now, we can be silent."

"_I can't wait to fall asleep—"_

"Do you always like to talk while you're slow-dancing?"

"—_to slip into my dreams—"_

"Sometimes. You've gotta talk a _little_, you know. It's awkward when you're completely silent the entire time. . . But with some people, you should make it so that you have to say hardly anything at all."

"_I will be as patient as a boy in love could ever be."_

"And I guess you're referring to me. . . 'Cause I really doubt you're talking about yourself."

"Did you consider the possibility that I was talking about us both?" Liz replied with an arch of her brow. "Because _I_ have always thought that we're very similar. We're both the anti-social, reserved type. Neither of us really likes to speak unless we're saying something that will impress everyone in the room, and we expect to be quoted for our wittiness or wisdom."

"'_Cause I had photographs and memories of the times—"_

Darcy raised an eyebrow at her. "That doesn't really sound like you. And I'm not so sure it sounds like me. . . _You,_ of course, must think it describes me perfectly."

"I'll let you be the judge of that."

"_I have poetry and drawings of my life, when you weren't on my side, and I didn't know just what is. . ."_

He didn't attempt to answer her, and they were silent again for a good while.

Darcy finally spoke up. "Do you walk to Meryton with your sisters more often than you walk alone?"

"_I need you back."_

Surprised, Liz tensed a bit as she looked up at him. "Yes," she said, unable to come up with a witty response. A moment later, she could think more clearly, and couldn't resist pushing his buttons, "When you walked me there, I was going on a date with one of the boys you'd seen us with the week before."

"_I need your smile."_

She immediately received the response she was looking for. Darcy's very handsome face twisted into a scowl of disdainful pride, and the angry red color appeared once again on his cheeks. He didn't rise, however, remaining silent. His breathing became labored, and Liz wondered briefly if he had some sort of anger problem. She couldn't continue baiting him, and cursed herself for being so weak.

"_I need your eyes. I need you, dear."_

After a moment, in an overly-controlled voice, Darcy spoke.

"George is a lucky ba—guy. He's just so d-dang charming, he can always make new friends. Whether or not he can _keep_ them, on the other hand. . ." Darcy drifted off, clenching his jaw. He was making a visible effort not to insult George directly.

"_Every line on your face—"_

With his apparent control, Liz grew braver. "He must not be _that_ lucky, since he lost _your_ friendship. . . and in a way that will make him suffer for the rest of his life!"

"—_for my eyes to trace."_

Darcy, once again, didn't answer. With timing that was either impeccable or disastrous, Luke (the friend of Forrest's who'd tried to get Liz and Darcy to dance earlier) came pushing through the crowd.

"Well, I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it! Darcy and Liz dancing together? I knew it would be dynamite. And look at you two! I was right!" He said, gesturing wildly to the two of them.

"_And I was alone."_

Liz smiled tightly, thanking him, while wondering how much booze he'd consumed, and how she could get rid of him.

"Maybe I'll see y'all dancing more once _you-know-who_ starts dating _you-know-her_," Luke said, nodding conspicuously towards Liz's twin. "If _I_ were Charlie, _I'd_ throw a party to celebrate. . . Hell, if I lived here, I'd throw a party every night! But I'll leave the two of you alone now," he added with a clumsy wink. "You can't be happy with me interrupting you and your lady. . . And I gotta be honest, Darcy, her bright eyes get to _me_ as well."

Darcy didn't seem to hear the last part. He was too busy reacting to the information about Charlie. He looked over to his friend dancing with his partner's sister, the two of them looking like they were in complete bliss.

The two of them were so preoccupied with what Luke had said (each for different reasons. Darcy was pondering his friend, while Liz wondered what he meant about her "bright eyes"), that neither noticed when the song ended. Plus, Charlotte had bribed the DJ to play a certain song next—another slow song—so it was even _less_ likely that Liz and Darcy would snap out of it.

Darcy turned back to Liz. "I totally forgot what we were just talking about."

"_Remembering everything about my world and when you came."_

"We weren't really talking at all," Liz admitted. "Luke couldn't have interrupted less of a conversation if he tried. I mean, we already burned through a couple of topics, and I have _no_ idea what to talk about next."

"What about books?" Darcy asked with a smile, thinking back to the night in the very same house they were currently dancing in.

"_Did you know what you were doing?"_

"Books? No way. I highly doubt we read the same books. . . Or that we'd react to them the same way."

"_Did you know how you would move me? Well, I don't really think so."_

"I'm sorry you think so, but if that _is_ the case, won't we be able to discuss our different opinions?"

"No, no," Liz shook her head. "I can't think of books at a party. . . My head's always too full of other things."

"I guess you just get too wrapped up in the moment," Darcy suggested.

"_How could we know—that song, this show—we'd learn so much about ourselves?"_

"Yeah, all the time," Liz replied distractedly, already thinking about something else. She burst out, "I remember you said once that you don't forgive easily, and that it was almost impossible for you to mend a broken relationship. That would make you very careful, then, to prevent that sort of thing from happening, right?"

"_Did you know how you would move us—"_

"Yes. _Very_ careful," he said firmly.

"_Did you know?"_

"And you try not to be blinded by prejudice, right?"

"_When the light first came upon us—"_

"I definitely try."

"—_and we saw the everglow."_

"Because it's particularly important for people who never change their opinions to make sure they judge people properly at first."

"Where are you going with this?"

"_And a young man's dream—"_

"Just trying to figure you out," Liz said lightly, trying to shake off the seriousness that had settled over her.

"—_was almost seen so plain."_

"And how are you doing with that?"

She shook her head, admitting, "Not very well. I'm hearing different stories about you everywhere I turn. It's very confusing."

"I can imagine. But do you mind postponing your efforts to understand me? I feel like you might not get the right picture. . . and that wouldn't benefit either one of us."

"_Throwing caution to the wind."_

"But if I don't try now, I might never have another chance."

"_Everything is now ours."_

"Well, as long as you're enjoying yourself. . . God forbid I stop you," he said coldly. She didn't reply. And in her silence, she finally realized that the song had changed, to one of her favorites.

"_Did you know how you would move me? Did you know?"_

Charlotte was behind it, no doubt. On one hand, she'd danced with him for a whole song. She could walk away whenever she wanted.

"_Did you know how you would move me? Well, I don't even think so."_

With Darcy's increased agitation, however, his grip was tighter on her hips, making Liz more and more lightheaded. It might just be easier to stay with him. . .

"_But the moment's magic swept us away."_

It sounded like it was coming to a close anyway. She probably had less than a minute left.

"_And it's so close, but we're so far away."_

She might as well just stick it out to the end.

"_It's so close, but we're so far away."_

And that was that. The very last line, but not where the song ended. Darcy pulled away anyway, before the song was officially over. The two of them simply walked away from each other silently, feeling . . . unhappy, for lack of a better word. Darcy was better off than Liz, though. His feelings for her were so strong that he couldn't stay mad at her. . . but he soon witnessed something that directed all his earlier anger against someone _else_.

Not knowing Darcy was watching, Caroline approached Liz, looking as arrogant as ever.

"So, _Lizzy_. I hear you like George Wickham!"

Liz stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the girl in disgust. How many terrible people was she going to have to endure in one night? "What's it to_ you_?"

"Well, your sister was talking to me about it. . . Asking me all these questions. For example- I bet you didn't know that George's dad worked for Will's dad!"

"God _forbid_ he isn't as rich and powerful as all of you," Liz said sarcastically, not even in the mood to pretend to play nice with her.

Caroline ignored this and continued. "Honey, I'm telling you this as a friend. . . George is a liar. Everything he told you about William? Lies. Because Will has _always_ been _more _than brotherly towards George, even though George didn't return the favor. I don't know what exactly went down, but I _do_ know that it wasn't William's fault. Also, he can't bear to even have George mentioned, so could you not do that please? I'm sure it hurts to hear all this terrible stuff about your _beau_. . . But really, when you consider his family, what else could you expect?"

Liz held herself back as best she could. She was literally two seconds away from slapping Caroline in the face. No—forget slapping. Liz wanted to _punch_ the bitch.

"Are you done? 'Cause to me, it seems me like the only "terrible stuff" you can think of _is_ his family. I haven't heard you accuse him of _anything_. . . except having a not-so-rich dad, which, as we all know, is one of the seven deadly sins. . ." she said with sarcasm utterly _dripping_ from her words. "But you wouldn't know about that would you? Not having a father at all. . ."

As soon as she said it, Liz wished she could take it back. She didn't want to go that far, not even with Caroline. But it was too late. Caroline's eyes widened, and almost looked teary for a moment, then she narrowed them at Liz.

"I see this is my thanks for trying to be a friend. . . Trust me, it won't ever happen again."

With that, Caroline stalked off, and Liz searched, head low, for her sister. When she found her, she looked so happy that Liz couldn't bear to tell her about her fight with Caroline. Instead, she said, "Wow, someone looks like a little ball of sunshine!"

"I'm having _such_ a good time tonight!" Jane glowed.

"I'm glad one of us is. . ." Liz muttered to herself.

"What?" Jane asked loudly. "I couldn't hear you over the music!"

"I heard that you were asking about George!" Liz called back, as if that's what she'd said.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Liz, I know you think you know what happened. . . but I just had to hear it from someone else. You won't like it."

"Go ahead," Liz sighed.

"Charlie doesn't know exactly what happened, but it doesn't look good for George. According to him and Caroline, he deserved everything he got."

"So Charlie's never actually met George?"

"No, not other than that time in Meryton."

"So he only knows the story from Darcy's point of view, am I right?"

"Well, yes. . ."

"I'm sorry, Jane, but this does nothing to change my opinion of either of them."

"I was afraid of that," Jane sighed.

Liz, not wanting her sister to get upset after being so happy, changed the subject. "Hey, you'll never guess what I just did."

"What?"

"I slow-danced with William Darcy."

"_What?_"

"I know, I couldn't believe it either. And I was living it."

"Alright, dish. And don't leave out a _single_ detail."


	15. I Think I Need Some Chocolate

Once Liz had told her sister all about dancing with Darcy, Charlie appeared, wanting to dance with Jane some more. Liz waved her on, saying she needed to find Charlotte anyway.

"So, how was he?" Charlotte asked, wiggling her eyebrows for the second time that night. "I glanced over a couple times, and you two seemed fit to burst with sexual tension!"

"Oh, yeah, it was lovely. . . It was odd though. It seemed unusually long . . . You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Me? No, of course not," Charlotte replied, laughing nervously.

Collin popped up all of a sudden, nearly giving Liz a heart attack. "I have just been so fortunate! You will never imagine what I have discovered!"

Charlotte looked at Liz, raising her eyebrows slightly. Liz simply sighed, as Collin continued.

"I have found out, quite by accident, that a close relation to my Lady Catherine is at this very party! When he was talking to the girl of this house, I overheard him mention his aunt Catherine DeBourgh, and her daughter Anne!"

"You mean you were eavesdropping," Liz said blandly.

"What? I can assure you, dear cousin, that I would never lower myself so! I was simply close by. But did you not hear me? Lady Catherine's nephew is here! It is a good thing that I have made this discovery, because now I may introduce myself to him."

"Wait, he was talking to Caroline," Charlotte said slowly. "The only guy who will do that of his free will is Darcy! Collin, was the guy really tall? With a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket?"

"Why yes! Yes he was. Are you already acquainted with the gentleman?"

Charlotte snorted. "No, I don't really know him that well. Liz does. She danced _two songs_ with him."

Liz ignored her friend. "Are you really going to go introduce yourself to Darcy?"

"Indeed I am, cousin. Unless you would like to introduce us yourself?"

Liz groaned. "No, Collin, I would _not _like to. As a matter of fact, I think you should just forget about him. I happen to know as a fact that he's in a very bad mood right now, and would _not_ appreciate meeting you. Seriously. . . if he wanted to know you, he would introduce himself. But Darcy isn't really a fan of meeting new people. . . Please don't, Collin."

Collin listened to her pleas, but fully intended on doing what he wanted anyway. "Cousin," (he'd taken to calling her that, since she didn't like Elizabeth) "When we're talking about things _you_ understand, such as cooking, or cleaning, I will fully trust your judgment. In this particular case, however, you simply do not know what you are talking about! I am sorry I cannot accept your advice, which I would normally _love_ to follow, but I feel that I, with my education and life experience, am more fit to decide something like this than a young lady such as yourself."

He left before she could punch him. Liz had just about had it with his sexism and pompous attitude! She settled on watching him approach Darcy, hoping at least that _he_ would punch the fool for her.

When Collin began speaking to Darcy, Liz could see how astonished the taller man was, and how quickly a frown crossed his features. Liz couldn't hear what Collin was saying, but she could imagine. . . She moved closer.

"—your aunt, Lady Catherine DeBourgh. It is a great honor to meet you."

Darcy looked down, and simply replied, "Thank you."

Liz stifled a laugh. Surely even Collin would hear the coldness in his voice?

But no. The little creep took it as an invitation to begin speaking again.

"I am not sure if you are aware, but she is soon to retire her pastor on her estate. . . And I am to fill the position! I will be giving services in her parish every Sunday, and I will be living on the estate while I go to college out west. I hear you are only a junior? I must wish you good luck in your scholarly endeavors. . . Perhaps someday you will even reach _my_ level academically. It will be difficult, but you are young, and I trust you can do it! Any relation of Lady Catherine must also possess her superior intelligence. Unfortunately, I highly doubt you will ever be quite as knowledgeable as she is. . . Nor will you be quite as successful, but I am certain you will do well enough for yourself."

Liz really could not believe what she was hearing. . . the arrogance in Collin's voice! He had no place to be saying those things to Darcy! If she were Darcy, she would punch him just like George had.

She watched him closely. Darcy clenched his jaw slightly, then turned around, ignoring her cousin.

"Well . . . yes. . . Pleasure to meet you!" Collin yelled at his back.

The image of Collin talking to Darcy's lower back was so funny to Charlotte and Liz that they were still laughing when he came back.

"I have to reason to be unhappy," Collin said. "And see no reason to laugh. We had a perfectly pleasant conversation."

Liz rolled her eyes, and she and Charlotte dove into the crowd to lose Collin. It wasn't very difficult. As they passed a keg, Liz overheard her mother talking to some girls her age. She was giggling about the teenage boys, and bragging about her favorite daughters, Lydia, Kat, and Jane.

Then, she got on the subject of Jane and Charlie. "I don't think they're _official_ yet, but Charlie's pretty much in love with my Jane. Can you blame him? But wow, aren't they a cute couple? He's so handsome. . . and _rich_, too. I'm so glad my Jane's got herself a rich boyfriend who can buy her things! Girls, that's what you need to look for. Rich boyfriends. I married for _love_ and that wore off _years_ ago. Money is where it's at!"

Liz hurried over, begging her mother to let her take her home. "You've had too much to drink, Mom. Why don't we just leave?"

Claire wrenched her arm away from Liz. "No! I'm having fun!"

"Mother!" Liz gasped, noticing everyone's stares. "Please! Act your age!"

"I'm only twenty seven," Claire said, winking clumsily.

"Wow, I didn't know you had me when you were _eleven_," Liz said, unable to stop the sarcasm from leaking out.

When Liz glanced around again, she saw Darcy standing to the side, completely within hearing range. How long had he been there?

"Mother please," Liz tried again. "Darcy can hear you!"

"Why should I care about _Darcy_?" she said loudly.

"_Claire!_" Liz hissed. "Because Darcy is Charlie's best friend, that's why!"

Nothing she said, however, could make her mother behave appropriately. The only thing Liz could do was walk away, and pretend she hadn't seen anything.

When she walked into another room, she found Mary sitting at the keyboard that Caroline had been playing all those weeks ago when Jane was sick. Liz hurried over to her, fearing the worst. Mary played the piano all the time in their own house (not very well), but she would never be brave enough to play in front of a room full of people.

The only explanation was that her drink had been spiked.

Mary _tried_ to play A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. . . but the alcohol in her system was slowing her fingers, and it sounded more like a funeral dirge. Perhaps for the death of her dignity?

Liz _never_ thought that Mary would try to sing, but there she was, belting out the song, as off-key as could be. Liz's mortification grew with every minute. Mary's expression was of pure seriousness. She thought she was _good_.

Luckily for Liz, her father showed up. "Mary. . . what a lovely song." Okay, maybe Liz was not so lucky.

"As a matter of fact," Mr. Bennet continued. "You're _so_ good that you're making everyone else look bad!"

Mary stopped playing with a _clang_ of sour notes. "Really?" she asked slowly, apparently trying not to slur her words.

Mr. Bennet nodded. "You don't want everyone to hate you for being _too_ good, do you?"

Mary shook her head clumsily. "I don wan that at all!"

"Come on," he said, extending a hand to his daughter. "Why don't you and I see if we can find something to eat. I'm hungry. . . Are you?"

"Yeah!" Mary grinned slowly, hopping up, then stumbling on the chair she'd been sitting on. She took her father's hand, careful to watch her feet when she walked. She swayed a little, but holding her dad's hand kept her somewhat anchored.

Liz breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed to her that _everyone_ in her family was trying their hardest to embarrass Liz and Jane. Her mother, as she predicted, was drunker than a redneck at a NASCAR race. Her father was doing nothing about his wife, or about the heavy drinking being done by all the minors. Liz caught a glance of her two youngest sisters hanging on some guys, doing a very good imitation of their mother. Luckily, Jane didn't see any of this, because she and Charlie were _that_ wrapped up in each other. Darcy, on the other hand, seemed to be everywhere Liz looked.

The rest of the party was pure misery for Liz. Collin simply couldn't leave her alone. He hung by her side like a bothersome tick, preventing anyone else from asking her to dance. Many walked by, appraising her in her outfit, but Collin would glare at them until they got creeped out and walked away. He couldn't get her to dance with him again, either.

At one point, she suggested that he dance with someone else—and promised to introduce him to whomever he liked, but he revealed that he didn't care about dancing. He only danced with her because she seemed to like it and he wanted to make Liz happy.

She didn't know how to respond to that.

Another lucky point for Liz was when Charlotte came over and started talking to Collin, distracting him.

Plus, there was the fact that Darcy didn't bother her again. She still saw him standing close by, but he never attempted to talk to her. She wondered if it was because of what she'd said about George. Whatever it was, it was keeping him from hanging around her and putting his large, warm hands on her sides. She didn't have to worry about her conflicting emotions, and the way her heart betrayed her whenever he was around. It had no right to beat faster! There was nothing about him she liked. Nothing at all.

Or at least that's what she told herself.

She forced herself to forget the pleasant way they'd teased each other on their walk to Meryton. . . Or the way his blue eyes could freeze her with a single look. She didn't want to remember the way he'd seemed so concerned about her on that walk, or the way his hands felt on her hips. She tried not to think of how well he danced. . . or how though he was _so_ much taller than her, they seemed to fit each other perfectly when they danced.

She reminded herself what he'd said about her. She thought about what he'd done to his own father. . . what he'd done to George.

That did it. She was angry again. She nodded her satisfaction as she felt that hot feeling fill her veins.

"Liz, honey?"

She turned around to see her dad behind her. "Yes?"

"I'm going to take your mother and younger sisters home. Collin will drive you and Jane in Claire's car, alright?"

Liz sighed. "Yeah. Sure."

"Thank you." Before rushing off, her father offered her a quick smile. "I hope you had a good time."

"Thanks, Dad," she smiled back, deciding not to tell him anything about what happened. He wasn't asking, anyway. "I had a great time."

* * *

The next afternoon, Jane and Liz woke up to find Claire, Kat, and Lydia still asleep. Mary, Collin, and their father were all about to sit down to lunch. Mary, luckily, hadn't been hit _too_ hard, since she'd only really had one drink, but whatever it was, there was a hell of a lot of alcohol in it to get her drunk after one. She had a bad headache, but that went away after drinking a lot of water and filling her stomach.

After lunch, their mother finally emerged, and she sat down in the den for ice cream and reality TV with Liz and Jane.

Collin walked in, watching them silently. He stood by the door, but didn't speak.

Finally, Claire noticed him. "What do you want?" she groaned. She wasn't at her best. . . by far.

"I had hoped, ma'am, to speak privately with your daughter, Elizabeth."

"Oh! _Oh!_ Yes, yes, of course! Lizzy would be _more_ than happy! Come on, Jane. Let's go wake your sisters."

"Jane," Liz said to her sister, giving her a look. "Don't go. Collin doesn't have anything to say to me that you can't hear!"

Liz had no idea what Collin was planning, but she knew that she didn't want to be in on it. She couldn't think of anyone who scared her more than her cousin.

Jane picked up her bowl of ice cream, sending her sister an apologetic look as her mother physically forced her out of the room.

"You shouldn't worry, dear cousin. Your modesty only makes you more appealing."

"Oh, _that's_ a relief," Liz muttered to herself.

"I am sure you are wondering what this is about. . . You see (and your mother assured me that she approved), almost as soon as I entered this house, I singled you out. . . Now, before I am run away with my feelings, I would like to state the reasons why I would like you as my bride."

Ha. Collin being run away with his _feelings_? That was a joke. He was making a _list_ for why he should marry! How unfeeling was _that?_ Wait a second, Liz thought. She ran over the last phrase he'd spoken.

"_WHAT?"_

"Please, dear cousin, do not interrupt me. My reasons are these: first, as a clergyman, I must make a proper example to my parish. Secondly, I believe it will bring happiness into my life. Thirdly—and perhaps this should have been first—but I have been recommended by my Lady Catherine to take a wife, or at least a fiancée.

"I know that you are not quite as rich as I, and have far less ways to improve your wealth, being a lady, but I promise I will not mention it ever again. It does not matter to me, as long as I have you."

Liz couldn't speak. He wanted her to _marry_ him? Even if he wasn't her cousin (which he was! EW!), she would never willingly go on a _date_ with him, let alone _marry _him!

"Collin, _no!_ I can't marry _you!"_

"Playing hard to get, I see? I have heard about the tricks women play."

"What? No! Collin, I _cannot_ marry you. One, you're my cousin! Eugh! Two, I'm _fifteen_ years old. I can't make that kind of commitment! I have a _life_ to live! Three. . . No! Just, no!"

"I cannot believe your denial," Collin said, shaking his head. "My reasons being: I see no reason why you should not desire me. I already have a proper job, before even graduating college, and I will have more than enough money for the two of us. Also, I'm not certain that a better offer will ever be made to you. In fact. . . If I do say so myself, I believe that I am the best that _you_ will ever be able to get."

_Splat!_

Collin blinked at her in shock through the ice cream covering his face. Liz was standing, fists clenched in anger, ice cream bowl lying forgotten on the floor.

"That is _enough_," she said, her voice shaking with rage. "I have had _enough_ of your insults. _Enough_ of your sexism. It's the 21st fucking century! Not the 19th, or whatever _you_ think it is! I don't need to get married at my age—and if I want, I don't have to get married _at all!_ There is _no_ way that I could _ever_ want to marry someone as rude, as thoughtless, as arrogant as _you_. And you're my motherfucking _cousin_! We're blood-related! I am not some inbred hick, you got that? And in case you were wondering. . . I can't stand your fucking _guts!"_

And with that, she stormed out of the room. She passed her sister in the hall, and Jane followed her to the foyer, where Liz grabbed her mother's car keys and stomped out the door.

"Liz? What happened?"

"Get in," Liz gestured roughly to the passenger side of her mother's car.

Once Jane was inside, Liz got in the car and peeled out of the driveway.

"Will you tell me what's going on?"

Liz didn't stop until they were at the grocery store. "I'm sorry, but I really need some chocolate right now. Do you mind waiting?"

Jane sighed, looking at her sister with worried eyes. "You go on in. I'll stay in the car."

* * *

Once Liz had finished her story, still sitting in the Harris Teeter parking lot, Jane's face was blank.

"I think I'm gonna need some chocolate too."

Liz nodded, handing her a Hershey's (she'd stocked up for the rest of the weekend, buying 4 bars).

"Our cousin _proposed_ to you."

"And you know what really . . . _grinds_ my gears?"

"Hm?" Jane made a questioning hum, mouth full of chocolate.

"He never _asked_. He assumed that obviously, I would be _honored_ to marry him."

Jane swallowed. "You know what freaks me out? The fact that our own _mother_ approved!"

"Are you really surprised though? Claire can't stand me! She'd have _loved_ to have me marry that creep! If it had been you. . ." Liz stopped, suddenly struck with a memory. "Jane. . . When Collin first came, he was really creepy with _you_, remember?"

Jane nodded. "Do you think. . . ?"

"Definitely! I mean, that would be so typical! He asks for your hand, and she says no. . . but go for Lizzie! No one likes her!"

"Liz. . . you know that isn't true."

"But I'm certain that's what she said to Collin. He was certainly under the impression that I couldn't get a better option than him. . . which is _really_ sad, when you think about it."

Jane nodded once again. "It hurts to say it, but that _does_ sound like something our mother would say. I'm so sorry, Lizzie."

Liz laughed. "Don't be! It's not your fault our mom is a bitch!"

Jane gave her sister a stern look.

"What?" Liz asked innocently. "She is!"

Jane laughed, rolling her eyes. "I'm still sorry. Nobody deserves that. Not even _you_," she added with a mischievous grin.

Liz shoved her sister, laughing. "Way to mean up!"

"I'm capable of it sometimes!"

Liz chuckled a bit more, when the clock caught her eye. "How much do you want to bet that the house has been burned down at this point?"

Jane frowned. "Don't even joke about that. . . no matter how likely it is."

Liz offered up a small half-smile. "I guess we should go back?"

"Yes, probably."

Without any reluctance whatsoever (she could be mature, sometimes!) Liz pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. Jane didn't even slap her when she hummed the Imperial March the whole way back.


	16. Charlie's Departure

"Richard! I need you!"

Liz and Jane entered the house to their mother's screech.

"Are you sure you don't wanna get some Starbucks or something?" Liz asked her twin, balking in the doorway.

Jane pushed her through. "Come on."

They followed the sound of the voices to their father's office.

"Richard, you _must_ make Lizzy agree to Collin! If you don't hurry, he'll change his mind, and then he'll hate us all, and when he turns 18, I'll be _poor!"_

"That selfish bitch," Liz muttered to herself. "Of course. It's all about her."

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Bennet asked her, sounding completely unmoved.

"Collin proposed to Lizzy! She denied him, and now he might not want her anymore!"

"I should hope so, after all the trouble I went to, throwing ice cream in his face and whatnot," Liz whispered to Jane, who snorted.

"What am _I_ supposed to do, then?"

"Talk to her, Richard! Tell her that you _insist_ she marries him!"

Richard sighed so loudly, the girls could hear him from the hallway. "I'll go find her."

"Please do!"

He left his office, blinking in surprise when he saw his daughters. "Found her."

"Hi Daddy," Liz grinned sheepishly.

"Liz, you mother tells me that you cousin proposed to you. Is this true?"

Liz simply nodded.

"And you refused?"

"Yes."

"Well then. Your mother insists on your accepting him. Isn't that right, Claire?"

"Yes. Or I'll never talk to her, _ever_!"

"Liz, it looks like you have another important decision. From this day on, you'll be ignored by one of your parents. Your mother will never speak to you if you _don't_ marry Collin. . ."

He drifted off, seeming like there was more he wanted to say. Liz bit her lip nervously.

"And _I_ will never speak to you if you _do_ marry him."

Liz grinned from ear to ear, hugging her father tightly. "Thank you, Daddy! I love you!"

He stiffened under her arms, not used to such signs of affection, but when she pulled away, he was smiling. "Love you too."

Claire, on the other hand, was not so happy. "_Richard_!" she screeched.

"Come on," Jane whispered to Liz, and the two ran up to their room, laughing all the way.

* * *

Charlotte stopped by later that afternoon to see if Liz and Jane wanted to hang out for a little while before dinner. Lydia answered the door, saying, "Great timing! You'll never guess what just happened! Collin _proposed_ to Liz!"

"_What?_"

"Yeah! And she said no! And threw ice cream in his face!"

"Really? I wonder why she didn't tell me this."

"Well, she's been busy. Our mom's been trying to get her to change her mind _all_ day!"

"Who's there, Lydia?" Claire called. Speak of the devil. . .

"It's Charlotte, Mrs. Bennet," Charlotte answered.

"Oh! Come on in!"

Charlotte found Claire in the den, lying on the couch, looking as if she were about to die. "Could _you_ convince Liz to marry him? No one's on my side. Nobody cares about _me_, or the terrible headache _I_ have!"

While Charlotte was thinking of how she could reply to that, Liz and Jane came down, having heard her yell.

"There she is, looking as careless as can be!" Mrs. Bennet spat when her daughter entered the room. "But trust me, if you keep refusing proposals like this, you'll never be married at all! Like I said before, I'm _never_ going to speak to you ever again. I really don't like talking at all. People who get headaches like mine never like to talk! No one knows how I suffer!" she cried.

Collin entered, his face freshly scrubbed. "Mrs. Bennet? Might I have a word?"

"All of you, _out!_"

Charlotte, Lydia, Kat, Liz, and Jane all left the den, closing the door behind them.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Liz said.

"Only one way to find out," Lydia grinned, then pressed her ear to the door.

Liz glanced at Charlotte, then Jane, shrugged, and followed her younger sister's example for the very first time in her life.

Once her ear was to the door, she heard Collin talking. "Let us never speak of this again. I can see very clearly now that Liz will not have me, whatever you say. I just wanted you to know that I meant well. . . and if I have done anything wrong, I would like to apologize."

Liz pushed away from the door, a scowl on her face. He was apologizing to her mother? What did he ever do to her? He should've been apologizing to _her_. God knows he'd insulted her enough!

"Y'all wanna go see a movie?" Charlotte asked Liz and Jane suddenly.

"Yes, _please_," Liz replied.

Jane nodded. "Just get us out of this house!"

* * *

At Liz's request, once the movie was over, Charlotte drove through Meryton to see if they could find George. Liz was worried when he never showed up to Charlie's party, so she just wanted to check to see if he was okay.

Luckily, they found him in a Starbucks with Denny, being a rather supportive friend through Denny's hangover. . . in the early evening. Which just proved how heavy a drinker Denny was.

Once they'd greeted him, Liz got straight to the point. "Where were you last night?"

George ducked his head down guiltily. "Yeah. . . Yeah. I just thought that is would be safer to avoid it."

"You could've let me know! I don't think you have my cell number. . ."

"I don't have a cell phone," George interrupted, making Liz raise her eyebrows.

"Still, you could've asked someone to find me and let me know you weren't coming!"

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just knew, though, that if I was stuck in a room with him all night. . . The result wouldn't have been pleasant. So I stayed home. Alone. While everyone else had fun."

Liz felt bad. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm proud you stayed back. That was very big of you."

George grinned at her. "You think?"

"Yeah. I was just upset when I didn't see you. I felt like an idiot!"

"I really am sorry."

"It's okay," she smiled at him. "Just let me know next time, okay?"

"Will do!"

A groan from Denny distracted him, and the girls decided to leave. Since the Lucases were going over to the Bennets for dinner and they all had to get ready, Charlotte took them straight home.

Once they'd gotten back, they checked facebook before the Lucases arrived.

"I've got a message from Caroline," Jane smiled.

"Do you mind reading it out loud? I'd love to know what she says."

"No problem. 'Hey, Janey! Just writing to let you know that we have to move! You know that our mom went out of town for a business trip? Well, she went back to L.A. (which is where we're from) and she called today to let us know that she wanted to move back! Luckily, we never really unpacked completely, except for our clothes, and that takes a little less than an hour to get together!

"'I'm sending this right before we get in the car to go to the airport. I have to be honest—the only thing I'll really miss is you, Janey! Hopefully we can stay friends on facebook, even though we're probably never coming back.'"

"What?"

"Here, let me read more. 'When mom left yesterday, she thought she'd be done in three or four days, but now she has to stay. . . and as minors, we have to go with her! I wish you could come visit, but I doubt it would be possible.' Obviously, I'm never going to see him again."

"I bet Caroline made this happen somehow."

"How could she? It's like she said. They're minors. they couldn't stay here! But wait, there's more."

Jane scanned the next few paragraphs quickly, and the saddest, most pained expression that Liz had ever seen crossed her face.

"Jane? What is it?"

"Let me read it to you," Jane said, her voice sounding very small. "'William is looking forward to seeing his sister, Georgiana, again and we're just about as excited as he is. She really is the most beautiful, kind, amusing little girl, and Lousia and I hope that some day (however long we must wait), we can call her our sister. To be honest, I think Charlie likes her a lot already, and now he'll be able to be around her whenever he wants! I can safely say that they would make the _best_ couple.'"

Jane looked down for a moment, before speaking with passion. "There it is! Clear as day! She knows that he doesn't like me the way I like him. . . This is her way of warning me! What else could it be?"

"Well, it could be that she _knows_ her brother is falling in love with you, but she'd rather have him with Georgiana. She wants you to think he doesn't care about you so that you won't try to contact him."

Jane shook her head.

"Seriously! _Everyone_ could tell that he likes you. Even Caroline. Shoot—if she thought Darcy liked her _half _as much, she'd jump his bones in a heartbeat! But the thing is, we're not _rich_ enough for them, and she hopes that once Georgiana and Charlie are together, Darcy will start to fall for her. But you have to trust me Jane. It's _you_ Charlie likes. Not Georgie."

"I really don't think she'd do something like that!"

"Fine. Believe what you want."

"How could I be happy anyway, if his sisters want him with someone else?"

"Will you be dating his _sisters_? I would think that the happiness of being with him would _far_ outweigh the guilt you feel for Caroline. She'll get over it!"

Jane smiled slightly. "You're totally right. If he officially asked me out, I'd say yes immediately."

"I thought so."

"But if he doesn't come back, it won't really matter what I'd chose."

Liz scowled. She _knew_ Caroline had something to do with it. They had that live-in maid, for one, and wasn't Darcy an emancipated minor?

After a lot of work convincing her, Liz finally got Jane to at least hope to see Charlie again. It was the best she could do.

* * *

The Lucases came over in almost no time at all, and Charlotte distracted Collin while Liz continued to comfort Jane.

What Liz didn't realize was that Charlotte was using the time with Collin to get him to think of her in the way he used to think about Liz. Her views on romance and dating were very cynical, and she didn't at _all_ mind being engaged at sixteen. The way she saw it, if she found someone who actually cared for her (which she highly doubted would happen), she could always break off the engagement.

By the time the Lucases left after supper, Collin believed himself very much in love with Charlotte. He went over the next day to ask her parents, and while they were shocked, they couldn't say no to the engagement. They refused to let her marry him until after she'd graduated from college—a day Collin was more than willing to wait for. When he asked Charlotte herself, she agreed. She knew that Collin wasn't smart or proper in any way, and she knew that he didn't _really_ love her, but she didn't really care.

The only thing she worried about was what Liz would say. Liz was her _very_ best friend, and while she'd probably be angry for a while, Charlotte hope she would get over it. She just wanted to be the one to tell her.

Collin agreed to keep the story a secret. It was difficult though, because everyone in the house wanted to know where he had been all day, and he was dying to brag about his new bride-to-be.

He left in the afternoon to go back to school, and everyone _still_ didn't know what was going on.

As he was leaving, Mrs. Bennet asked when he could visit again.

"As soon as possible!"

Every other member of the Bennet family made similar faces of shock and dread.

Mr. Bennet quickly said, "But you have school! I'm sure you don't have any more absences left to use! And you don't want to neglect Lady Catherine, do you?"

"Oh, trust me. I will not do anything without her approval."

"Trust me. . . if there's any chance she _might_ be upset, just don't come. We'll understand!"

"Thank you for your kindness. You'll soon receive a letter of thanks as well."

And with that, creepy cousin Collin was gone.

* * *

The next day, at school, Jane seemed lost without Charlie. Liz stuck to her side as well as she could, but at lunch, Charlotte pulled her aside, to tell her what had happened the day before.

"_Engaged?_ To _Collin_? Charlotte, that's not possible!"

Charlotte replied calmly, "Do you think it was impossible for him to get _anyone_, just because _you_ denied him?"

Liz checked herself. The last thing she wanted was to have Charlotte mad at her. "No, no. . . I'm just surprised. I didn't know you liked him."

"I don't," Charlotte shrugged. "But you know, why not? Being married won't be the end of the world. I mean, this is a good thing! I had no idea what I would do once I was out of college, and now, I won't have to do anything! It's a good thing! Isn't it?"

Liz sensed her friend's belated uncertainty. "If that's what you want."

"I don't need a soul mate. I just need a place to live. You know how much I hate to work. . . Now I won't have to. Collin won't _want_ me to."

Liz snorted. "You got that right."

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"As long as you aren't mad at me!"

"Of course not," Charlotte sighed her relief, and the two friends hugged.

Liz glanced over her shoulder, seeing her sister eating alone. "She needs us now."

Charlotte nodded. "We'll have to do our best to make her forget about him."

"Step one: Make sure she isn't alone."

"Aye aye, captain!" Charlotte grinned, saluting.

Liz rolled her eyes, trying not to show how torn she was. On one hand, she wanted to devote all of her attention to her heartbroken sister. On the other, she just wanted to sit and worry about Charlotte. The worst thing about Charlotte's situation . . . Liz doubted she would ever be totally happy.

* * *

The letter from Collin arrived on Tuesday, and even though she'd replied almost immediately, Jane didn't hear from Caroline again.

Things were slightly awkward between Liz and Charlotte for a while, but neither of them ever mentioned Collin. Liz was so disappointed in Charlotte and the way she saw marriage that she doubted she could ever really talk to her about boys ever again. This disappointment, though, made her turn even more to Jane, who seemed to get worse as the days went on. One week passed, and then two.

Even Liz was afraid that Charlie wouldn't come back, no matter how certain she was of his feelings for Jane. As for Jane, her fear was that much worse, but she did her best to hide it. She never talked about Charlie, but her insufferable mother couldn't seem to _stop_ talking about him.

Finally, the reply came from Caroline. Jane didn't read this one to Liz, but she was absolutely certain that they wouldn't be back. With all hope gone, Jane became a shell. It took her several days to be able to talk about it, but one day, once their mother had been more annoying than usual, she couldn't help speaking.

"I wish she'd just stop talking about Charlie! Can't she see how much it hurts me? Well. . . it won't last long. I'll forget him, and everything will be the same as it was before we met."

Liz looked act her incredulously, but didn't say anything.

Jane blushed slightly. "You don't believe me! Don't worry—all I'll ever remember about him was that he was a nice guy. After a while, I think I'll be fine."

She added later, with more certainty, "At least I know that no one else was hurt in this whole situation. I'd rather be the only one hurting."

"Jane," Liz exclaimed. "You're just _too_ nice! I don't even know what to say to that! I feel like I've never loved you enough or something. I could _never_ be as kind as you are!"

"No, no. . ." Jane protested.

"Really, Jane! Just look at yourself! You _never_ talk bad about _anyone_. . . You don't even like it when _I _ talk bad about people! All I want to do is compliment you, and you won't have it! Then look at me! I don't really _love_ people. Shoot—half the time, I don't even _like_ people. I mean, the more I see of them, the more I don't like them! They're always doing either stupid or mean things. . . I've even got two examples. The first—Charlotte and Collin. I can't _stand_ it! I mean, I won't say anything to Charlotte, but I can't fucking _stand_ it!"

"Liz, please try not to think like that, because you'll just get more miserable every day! Just think about Charlotte's personality. She'll be just _fine_. She isn't the same as you and I. Who knows—maybe she even likes him!"

"For you, I'd believe almost anything, but to think she actually likes _Collin_. . . I'd lose even more respect for her! Collin is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, _ridiculous_ human being! You can't deny that. You really can't. And you have to agree that whoever agrees to marry him without being held at gunpoint _has_ to have at least _something_ wrong with her! Even if it _is_ our friend."

"I still think you're being way too harsh on both of them. . . Maybe you'll change your mind if you see them happy together."

Liz simply couldn't argue with that blind optimism. "Yeah, maybe."

"But alright, enough of them. What was the second example? Not _him_ is it? Because he didn't move away on _purpose_. And besides, it's not his fault that this happened. . . It's most likely mine. Girls do that all the time you know. . . Thinking a guy cares more than he actually does."

"Well _guys_ should make sure to send the right signals and not lead us on!"

"Yeah, I agree that it's terrible if they do it on purpose. . . but I can't imagine that _all_ guys are like that!"

"And I'm not saying that Charlie is like that! But he doesn't have to intend to hurt people to do it. You can let other people push you around in a way that hurts others, without even realizing it!"

"And you think that's what happened in this case?"

"Without a doubt! But if I keep going, I'm bound to upset you, because I'm about to badmouth some people you like. There's your warning. If you want me to stop, just say so."

"You think Caroline did this."

Liz shrugged. "Well, with a little help from Darcy. . . yeah."

"I won't believe it! Wouldn't they want him to be happy? If being with me would make him happy, wouldn't they want that?"

"They might not _only_ want his happiness. . . One of them—and I'm not going to name names—only wants him to get with someone with _moolah."_

Jane sighed. "Yes, Liz, okay? They want him to be with Georgie. But it might not be why you think. They've known her longer than they've known me. . . Of course they'd love her better! But whatever they want, they wouldn't go against what _he_ wants. I mean, what kind of sister would do that? If Caroline thought Charlie _really_ liked me, she wouldn't try to separate us. If Charlie really _did_ like me. . . he wouldn't let her separate us, even if she (or _Darcy_!) tried. To think that he _does_ care for me the way you say he does. . . that makes just about everyone the bad guy, and that makes _me_ feel even worse, okay? I was wrong. I'm okay with that. It's better than hating him, or his sister, or his friend. Just. . . let me think that, okay?"

Liz couldn't argue with that. From then on, Charlie was never mentioned between the two of them.

Mr. Bennet brought him up one day, however, joking with his daughter. "So Lizzy. I hear your sister's been unlucky in love. Good for her! Girls like to have boy trouble every once and a while. It gives them something to talk about. So when's your turn? You don't want to be behind your sister for long, do you? There are plenty of boys at the academy to disappoint you. What about that boy you've been seeing? George? He'd do a good job of breaking your heart, don't you think?"

"Anyone will do, really," Liz joked back. "I don't need someone as handsome as that. Not all of us can be as lucky as Jane!"

"True. At least you can be comforted by the fact that you'll always have a mother such as yours to make the most of it."


	17. A California Christmas

About two weeks into December (the Wednesday before the girls' winter holiday), Claire Bennet's younger sister, Cassandra Gardiner, came with her husband, Jack, to visit.

Cassie was nothing like her older sister. For one—wherever her sister was "enhanced," Cassie was all natural. She was also about 100 times smarter and more pleasant to be around than her older sister was. She was Liz and Jane's favorite relative by _far._

The Gardiners had come to deliver their Christmas presents in person, even though they wouldn't be opened for another week, at least.

Everyone gathered in the den to talk about what had been going on since the last time they saw each other, and all Mrs. Bennet could talk about were her two eldest daughters' bad luck in love.

"I don't blame Jane, of course. . . But Liz! She got proposed to in this very room but she wouldn't have it! And now Emily Lucas will have a daughter married before me. . . and that daughter will inherit _our_ house! I can't believe it. . . Ruined by my own daughter! And "friends" who would steal everything from us! At least I still have you, Cassie."

Cassie Gardiner knew as much, from e-mails from Liz and Jane, and she changed the subject quickly. Once she was alone with Liz later, unpacking in the guest room, she talked about it freely.

"It seems like this Charlie would've been a great boyfriend for Jane. . . I'm sorry he couldn't stay. As terrible as it is. . ." she sighed, "This sort of thing happens every day. Boys will find a girl to flirt with for a few weeks, but after a while, _poof!_ They're gone. And it's like he never even knew her."

"That's true," Liz admitted, "But I don't think this was one of those situations. _I_ think he was falling in love with her. . . but he was forced away!"

"Are you _positive_ that he was falling in love with her? It's could have been a crush. . . infatuation. . . lust? Not real love. . . I mean, he's a teenage boy!"

"Whenever he was with her, he couldn't see anyone else. People would try to talk to him, and he wouldn't respond! It was like he was hypnotized by her or something. And he hated to be away from her. . . he texted her _all_ the time when they couldn't be together."

Cassie sighed again. "Oh no. Liz, that's exactly the kind of "love" I was talking about. Poor Jane! I don't think she can bounce back from this sort of thing like you or I would. If it had been _you_, you'd be laughing it off after a week or so. Do you think she'll want to come back with us for winter break? Maybe a change of scenery would help. . . or some time away from her _mother_."

"I think she'd like that a lot!" Liz said, answering for her sister. "A California Christmas. . ." Suddenly, she was struck by an idea. "That's it! We'll both go to California!"

"Did I invite you, butter-head?" Cassie joked, swatting her niece.

"No, but Charlotte did! Collin wants her to spend Christmas break in his little cottage in Beverly Hills. . . Apparently, Collin wants her to look at colleges out there, like UCLA. She says she wants me to come along and "chaperone." I originally told her that I couldn't, because I wanted to take care of Jane, but if she's going with you, I can go with Charlotte!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Cassie asked, raising her eyebrows. "I mean you _did_ throw ice cream at him."

Liz giggled at the memory, imagining the shocked look on his face, beneath dribbles of chocolate ice cream. "Yeah," she sighed contentedly. "I did."

At her aunt's pointed glance, Liz remembered herself. "But I think I should be okay. Charlotte said that _he_ wanted me to come as well. . . Maybe he's gonna rub in my face everything that could have been mine. . ."

"I'd say that I can't believe my sister wanted you to marry your own cousin. . . but no, that's exactly the sort of thing she'd do," Cassie sighed.

Getting back on topic, Liz peered at the older woman. "But it's settled right? Jane go back to Compton with you and Uncle Jack?"

"Well, we should probably see if Jane even wants to. . ."

"And if it's okay with Jack?" Liz asked with a smirk. She already knew the answer. It was clear who wore the pants in their relationship.

Cassie waved a hand dismissively. "Who _cares_ if it's okay with Jack? If it's what _I_ want, then he's okay with it."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

* * *

As Cassie predicted, Jack couldn't argue. He agreed to having their niece stay for Christmas, _just like that_. The Grange women really were something (Grange was Cassie's and Claire's maiden name). . . They always seemed to overpower their husbands without a second thought. Liz wondered if she'd inherited this trait. . . She could admit that she was a bit too much for _average_ boys to handle.

Liz, however, couldn't see herself falling in love with a guy she could boss around. She'd never liked sheepish people in general. . . When it came to love? She was hardly old enough to know the type of person she'd fall in love with, but she liked to imagine it would be a strong, steady sort of man who would give it back to her just as much as she gave it. Someone with a much heavier presence than her father had ever had.

Speaking of Richard Bennet. . . he'd been upset to find that his most sensible daughters were abandoning him for the entire Christmas break. . . but once Jane jumped at the chance to get a change of scenery, Liz had no excuse to pass on the trip with Charlotte. Their mother almost forbade her to go, out of spite, but in a rare display of backbone, Liz's father had insisted that Liz could go wherever she wanted. As parents, he argued, they couldn't deny one daughter the privilege they'd just given to another. Her twin, no less!

So it was decided. Both girls were to visit the West coast. To everyone's surprise, they promised not to see each other when in California. Jane knew that Liz would like to focus on Charlotte's predicament, and she didn't want to be a distraction. Liz was a little hurt that her sister didn't even want to see her on _Christmas_, but she knew Jane needed some time to sort out her emotions, so she didn't let herself get upset.

Even though they were less than an hour apart. . . They decided to pretend they were miles away from each other.

"You know what they say," Jane said with a small smile as she stood in the airport with her aunt and uncle, the very _Friday_ they got out of school. (Liz was to leave the next day) "Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Liz winked at her sister. "Have fun all the way in _Compton_."

"You too! In Beverly Hills. . . 90210. . ."

Liz snorted. "Yeah, except my time there will be about 1,000 times more boring than the show."

"You never know. . . Collin might surprise you!"

Liz burst out laughing at that. . . it was either that or crying. Yeah, they'd be a car ride away. . . but she wouldn't see her sister for two _weeks_. They'd _neve__r_ spent time away from each other before!

As if she could read her twin's mind, Jane pulled her into a tight hug. "If you start missing me too much you know I'll come. Promise."

"I know," Liz said, giggling slightly, nervously. "But I want you to relax and just forget about everything that happened last month."

"I will. Thanks Liz. I really couldn't ask for a better sister."

"Yeah, well. . . you've never had _you_ as a sister. By _far_, the best sister ever."

Jane finally let Liz go, shaking her head. Liz laughed, genuinely this time, holding up a hand to stop whatever she was going to say. Cassie swooped down on the brunette before she could say anything, hugging her so tightly she could hardly breathe.

"Cassie?" Liz choked. "Air. . . would be nice. . ."

"Sorry!" Cassie jumped back, then hugged her again, only slightly looser. "A little advice about George Wickham. . ."

Liz stepped back in surprise, but got pulled right back in. Apparently, Cassie was using the hug to talk to her privately, without her meddlesome sister, Claire, overhearing.

"We didn't really get a chance to talk about him while I was here, but I know you're a smart girl. From what I can tell, he's not as well off as he could be. . . if a wealthier girl so much as blinks at him, he'll drop you for her in a second. Don't think I don't know what boys are like. Just. . . please don't fall in love with him, okay?"

Liz laughed. "Well, I have to admit, he's pretty hot. . . and funny. . . and _he_ liked me right away, unlike some other boy that need not be mentioned. . . But don't worry. I'm not in love with him. I promise, I'll do my best to keep it that way. Is that good enough?"

Cassie Gardiner sighed, letting her niece slip out of her arms. "I suppose it will have to be. But remember. . . if he _does_ dump you for some rich girl, you have my full permission to kick his ass."

"Kick her ass too, while you're at it," Jack grinned, hugging Liz. "Merry Christmas, Liz."

"Merry Christmas, y'all!" she grinned, waving before she turned to leave with her parents.

She only glanced back twice.

* * *

Liz got a text from Jane as soon as her plane landed, letting her know that she was safe and sound in California. Liz only sent back a quick, "Hope you have fun!" She knew Jane had to get unpacked and situated. And _she_ had to pack! Charlotte would be coming over in the morning to give her a ride to the airport! The second time she'd gone in two days . . .

Liz could hardly sleep at the idea of seeing her creepy cousin again, but before she knew it, it was morning and Charlotte was ringing the doorbell.

"Coming!" Liz yelled down the stairs, then grabbed her 2 trunks and ran down.

"Bye everyone," she yelled to the house in general. The only person who would be awake was her father, and he was in his office, pretending he wasn't going to miss Liz to death.

Without waiting for a response (she knew one wasn't coming), Liz ran out the door and past her friend to the car. She had her luggage in the trunk and was sitting in the car within moments. "Well, come on!"

Charlotte laughed, rolling her eyes, and got in the back seat, next to Liz. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were _excited_."

"I've never been to California before!"

"Mmhm, sure," Charlotte smirked.

"Hey. He's _your_ fiancé, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Charlotte said, deflating slightly.

"Wanna play a game?" Liz asked quickly, trying to cheer her back up.

"Sure. What is it?"

"How many people in California have fake orange tans?"

"Ah," Charlotte nodded. "A counting game."

"I bet I'll find more," Liz challenged.

"Are you kidding? Bring it on!"

Liz slept the entire time she was on the plane, and next thing she knew, they were in California, meeting Collin at the luggage pick-up.

"My dear Charlotte!"

He shuffled closer to her, and tried to kiss her cheek, but Charlotte ducked smoothly, crying, "Is that my bag?"

"Hey there Collin. . ." Liz said awkwardly. She already had both of her bags.

"Oh, hello Liz."

She gasped. "You got my name right!"

Sensing that the coast was clear, Charlotte walked back over. "I thought it was mine. It wasn't."

"Yeah, I know how many _neon pink_ suitcases there are out there," Liz said sarcastically, looking pointedly at the one Charlotte had already retrieved.

"Allow me carry that for you, my sweet."

Colin hefted the suitcase up, then grunted. It was a lot heavier than it looked. He stood there a moment, pretending to be strong, then he dropped it. "No use wasting effort holding it while we are waiting for your other bag," he lied.

Liz snorted, sharing a glance with Charlotte, but neither of them told him about the wheels on the bottom of the bag.

Once they had everything, Collin lead them to his unsurprisingly sensible sedan. As they packed their things into the trunk, he began to get increasingly excited.

"Got ants in your pants, Col? Or maybe . . . ice cream?" Liz asked, feeling particularly vindictive.

He huffed, pointedly looking away. "There has been a change of plans, Charlotte, my love."

Raising an eyebrow, Charlotte took the bait. "Okay, what's the new plan?"

"Lady Catherine. . ." he paused for dramatic effect. "Has invited _us_. . ." he paused again. "To stay in the main house with her and her daughter, Anne!"

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"She said—and she is once hundred percent right—that two innocent flowers should not be living with an older man such as myself."

Liz snorted. It was either that, or laughing out loud. As if they'd be in danger with a guy like _him_. He hardly even counted as a man.

"Isn't this exciting, Liz? We get to stay in Lady Catherine's mansion!" Charlotte chirped as she hopped into the passenger seat.

"Yeah, scrumptious," Liz answered, not even caring that her response didn't make much sense. She was breathing deeply, sprawled across the back seat, not even bothering to buckle up. Sure enough . . . there was the new car smell.

"Hey, Chocolate. . . I'm sorry, Collin. How long have you had this car?"

Ignoring the dig, he pulled out of the airport parking lot. "Three years, believe it or not."

"I believe it not."

Charlotte peeked in the side mirror, seeing Liz's face in the reflection. Liz made a funny face. Charlotte laughed.

"Why do you believe not?" she asked, continuing with the odd way of speaking.

"It smells brand-spanking-new, that's why!"

"What an accurate observation, cousin Liz! It is true, I enjoy keeping my car as clean as a whistle."

Liz made a face. "Where's the fun in that?"

"It's in the spanking, of brand-spanking-new," Charlotte jumped in quickly, with a wink only Liz could see.

"My dove, you consider spanking to be fun?" Collin asked, eyes wide.

Liz simply rolled her eyes and asked, "How long is the drive?" before Charlotte could answer her fiancé.

"About 50 minutes, and that's _including_ traffic," Charlotte answered, having done her own research.

Liz groaned, then pivoted to lay across the length of the bench. "Wake me up when we get there."

* * *

"We're here!"

Liz sat up in a jolt, staring in shock at the _castle_ in front of her. She whipped her head around, but didn't see _any_ nearby houses. In fact. . . all she saw were trees. But. . . that was impossible. They were in Beverly Hills! Not. . . the wilderness, or something!

"C-Charlotte. . ."

"Crazy, isn't it? And I'll be living here! Well, in the guest house."

Liz stared at the fortress of a house, thinking it looked much more like some posh prep school in England, or something. Not someone's _house_.

"Where are all the other houses? Did that one eat them?" Liz asked, pointing to the. . . she couldn't even call it a house. It was a freaking_ manor_.

"No," Collin chuckled. Oh, he was _loving_ this. "We are alongside the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and we just came up a quarter-mile private drive. That is why you cannot see other homes."

"Who _is_ this woman?" Liz breathed, nose pressed against the window.

"Uh! Elizabeth! Remove your face from my window!"

Liz pretended she didn't hear him. "What was that? Hm? What's my name?"

"_Liz_, remove your face from the window of my car."

"What's the magic _wo-ord_?" Liz sang, fogging up Collin's precious window with her breath.

"_Please_ remove your face."

"Well, golly Colly, that's all you had to say," Liz leaned back, using her Goofy voice. Goofy, as in the Disney character.

Charlotte tried to hide a snort at her friend's antics. She knew it was a good idea to invite Liz. She always had a way of lightening the atmosphere, whether or not she was consciously trying.

"Hey, Char?" Liz said in a little kid voice, looking at the manor.

"Yeah, Lizzy?" Charlotte asked with a grin. She could only imagine what she was going to say next.

"What're those?" She pointed to the round towers on either side of the long, rectangular building.

"I think those are turrets, maybe?"

"No, my dear, those are simply towers. Turrets do not reach the ground," Collin corrected her, a know-it-all tone to his voice.

"Oh," Liz said quickly, her little-kid voice dismayed. Trust Collin to be a jerk. "I thought they were buttresses."

Charlotte gave her friend a look. "Buttresses?"

Liz laughed gleefully, acting like a complete child. "I made you say _butt!_"

It was so ridiculous and immature that Charlotte couldn't help cracking up. Liz laughed with her, not quite sure why she was acting like a five-year-old. But _someone_ had to keep things from getting too stuffy around Collin!

Suddenly the car stopped, right in front of the buttress-less castle. "We're here," Collin said pompously. Apparently, fun and laughter didn't exist to him.

Liz had hardly gotten out of the car when a man in a suit appeared from the front door. "Can I take your bags?"

The man was _over_ a foot taller than her, with a shaved head, wearing a crisp black suit. Add sunglasses and a headset and he could've been a bodyguard, for sure! Except, she didn't think most bodyguards had twinkling eyes and a mouth that looked like it was about to break into a smile at any minute.

"Michael," Collin snapped. "That is my _cousin_. My _fiancée_ is over _here._"

"Of course," Michael grinned. "Pleasure to meet you Liz." He turned to the _fiancée_. "You too, Charlotte."

"Hey there, Michael," Liz smiled, offering a hand to shake. Michael (whoever he was) shook her hand with a firm grip.

"I take it you're 'the one that got away?'" he whispered.

Liz snorted, nodding with a smirk. "Let me tell ya all about it later."

"As soon as Catherine gives me a break, I'd _love_ to hear your side of it."

"You might want to watch yourself, Liz. That's the _butler_."

Liz gasped theatrically. "_Whaaat?_ The butler? My apologies, Michael, but I simply _cannot_ be seen fraternizing with the help. How _scandalous! _Move along now!" she waved him over to Collin, who was standing by the open trunk.

Michael, eyes twinkling even brighter, winked as he turned to Collin who was in total I'm-better-than-you mode.

"The fuchsia ones belong to my fiancée. Please take those in first."

"Of course, _sir_," Michael said mockingly. Liz didn't know much about the modern-day butler, but come _on_ Collin! This is America! Where every _person_ was created equal! Still, she couldn't be surprised. _He_ still thought women grew up to be mothers and nothing else.

Collin didn't notice the sarcastic tone in Michael's voice, and Liz guessed that the man had long-since discovered what a complete nitwit Collin was, to not understand sarcasm. Collin simply supervised Michael as he pulled out each trunk with ease. Liz bet he realized he wouldn't be able to lift them.

She hefted her trunks out after Michael, trying not to laugh at the image of the large, macho man pulling along two bright pink suitcases. It was a rather funny sight.

Michael turned, protesting. "You can leave those. I'll get them once I'm done with the _fiancées_."

Charlotte smirked, rolling her eyes at that.

Liz shook her head. "I don't want to make you do all the work."

"It _is_ my job. . . You two are on vacation."

"Yeah, but I'm not some spoiled brat," Liz said, with a pointed glare at Collin. "Just show me where my room is, and I'll be fine."

"All right," Michael gave in fairly easily. "Catherine gave you and Charlotte two different rooms, but if you like, I can just take you to Charlotte's room, if you want to share it."

"That cool with you?" Liz turned to her friend.

"More than cool. If the rooms are anything like the actual place, they'll be _huge_. And I'll get lonely."

Liz nodded with a grin. "It's settled then."

Michael led them up to the door, and before Liz could even walk, Charlotte snatched one of her bags from her. Liz glanced at her, only slightly surprised.

"I don't wanna be a spoiled brat either," Charlotte huffed.

Liz laughed, replying honestly. "Charlotte, you are the least spoiled person I know. Although. . . living here might just ruin you."

"Shut up," Charlotte chuckled, checking Liz with her hip.

Collin hadn't spoken a pompous word in five minutes. Must have been a record. Maybe he was embarrassed about the way he was acting? Liz thought the idea was far-fetched, but possible.

But then, as they walked into the large entrance hall— "You probably cannot find so fine a house anywhere else in America. Liz, I am perfectly certain _you_ have never seen such splendor."

She thought too soon.

* * *

**Note:** Get ready! Here comes "Lady" Catherine. . . And a bit of a warning- I totally revamped Anne. Half of the reason I wrote her the way that I did is because of Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange. (you might notice that I also stole her name for Claire and Cassie's maiden name. In the original, _Mr._ Gardiner is Mrs. Bennet's sibling, but I like her having a sister better.) In Mr. Darcy's Diary, Anne seems to liven up a bit when she is away from her mother. I took that idea and sort of ran with it. You'll see what I mean as soon as I finish the next chapter. . .


	18. The LAST Thing Liz Expected

Once Liz and Charlotte had gotten settled in their room (the bed was _more_ than big enough for the both of them. Liz wondered if there was a bed size larger than King. God, maybe?), Michael appeared at their door.

"Catherine would like to meet you now."

Charlotte looked down at her knee-length skirt and blouse nervously. "Is this okay? I mean, should I change?"

"Pfft, I'm going as I am," Liz muttered as she _oozed_ off the bed.

"_That_?"

Liz looked down. She was wearing skinny, distressed blue jeans with a gold boyfriend sweater (slouchy, with a wide neckline, but still tight around the arms) over a black tank top (the straps were clearly visible) and black suede ballet flats. Her only accessories were a pocket watch necklace and a charm bracelet. . . Innocent enough, right?

"What's wrong with _that?_" Liz asked defensively.

Charlotte sighed. "Nothing. Come on."

The two girls followed Michael down the hallways, picking up Collin somewhere along the way. Liz did her best to remember where she was going, but she got totally confused within seconds. She decided she probably shouldn't go anywhere without Michael's help. . .

They were finally shown into a sitting room, of sorts, where two women were expecting them. The oldest was Catherine, doubtlessly. Her short hair was already white, but except for some lines around her mouth (from frowning), she had no wrinkles to speak of. She looked very prim and proper in an outfit much like Charlotte's—white button-down blouse and a knee-length business-type skirt.

The other girl must have been her daughter, Anne. She was hunched over on the couch, probably just as short as Liz, but even _skinnier_. Her red hair was in a short, choppy cut, falling into a face paler than anything Liz had ever seen before. Liz could tell by looking at her that she was weaker than most. . . Is that what Collin meant by sickly?

A disapproving sneer fell onto Catherine's face when she saw Liz's outfit. "Collin, tell me this girl isn't your fiancée."

Liz bristled at that, and was tempted to say, "No, but I almost was!" but she restrained herself in time by biting her lip.

"No ma'am, Lady Catherine. This is my cousin, Liz, and a friend of Charlotte's."

"Ah, and this is Charlotte? Come here, girl."

Catherine had Charlotte step in front of her and turn as she slowly inspected her.

While her mom wasn't looking, Anne peeked up at Liz, pointed to her jeans, and shot her a thumbs up and a grin. Closer inspection revealed that the other girl was also wearing skinny jeans, with a ragged hole in each knee. The name of the band on her shirt was familiar to Liz—they happened to be one of her favorites! She took a second look at the "sickly" DeBourgh.

As soon as Catherine was done with Charlotte, Anne drooped. Was she acting? But why. . . ?

"Good choice," Catherine said to Collin, and this time, both Liz and Charlotte stiffened. Something about the way she said it definitely reminded them of livestock. . . something Charlotte certainly wasn't! But at least Liz knew why Collin liked Catherine so much. . . they shared the same backwards viewpoints!

"But this girl," Catherine continued, tutting. "She ought to be wearing a dress. . . She looks like a heathen in those trousers! No guest of mine will be anything less than proper."

"Beg your pardon," Liz began, the phrase seeming fitting. "but in this current day and age, I _am_ proper. You really should see what some of the other girls are wearing nowadays."

Catherine blinked, taken aback. Liz could guess that she was the first person to challenge Catherine like that.

"Of course I've seen them," she said scornfully, still recovering from the insubordination. "It's downright _sinful!_ But I still stand by the belief that trousers were meant for men, not women. As a _guest_ in _my_ house, you might take care to clothe yourself _properly_."

"Oh, you mean the same way your daughter does?" Liz couldn't resist calling the girl out. What was the deal with her? Was she "sickly." . . . or faking?

The girl in question glared at Liz for a split-second before her mother glanced at her. "My _daughter_ has a weak constitution. Wearing a skirt would expose her legs and give her chills."

"Oh, of course, because they don't make _long_ skirts. . ."

Collin stared at her in horror, and started backing up, as if being near Liz would induce Catherine's wrath on _him_. Charlotte, on the other hand, watched the exchange with barely-concealed amusement.

Catherine actually lowered herself to _glare_ at Liz. "The way I raise my daughter is none of your business! How old are you, anyway?"

"Fifteen," Liz admitted with a shrug. "Sixteen in January."

"One year older than Anne. What do _you_ know about raising young ladies?"

"Quite a bit, actually. I've practically had to raise my little sisters since my parents are more or less useless in that department. One turned out okay, but the other two. . . Well, they took after my mother, and that was their downfall."

"Give your mother more credit! You could never imagine how difficult it is, having children."

"Actually," Liz said, looking lovingly at her stomach and rubbing it slowly. "I'll know just _how_ difficult it is in about eight months."

She was obviously joking, but Catherine didn't realize that. The woman looked like she was going to disintegrate into a pile of horrified ashes. . . or explode in an angry supernova. Liz wasn't sure which, but she couldn't wait to see it.

Anne stood quickly, with a fake sway. "I feel sick! Liz, _you_ can help me to the bathroom!"

Catherine tried to stand after her daughter, but Anne was across the room already, her arm over Liz's shoulder, letting her carry almost all of her weight.

"You don't want _this_ girl—"

"Yes I do!" Anne yelled, and hustled the confused brunette from the room.

Once she was out of sight from her mother, Anne dropped her arm, grabbed Liz's hand and _ran_. Liz had to sprint to catch up. For a "sick" girl, Anne sure was _fast_. They ran down several hallways, turned a few corners, and stopped in an empty stairwell.

"Nice escape," Liz panted.

"Thanks for sticking a bull's eye on my back," Anne said without preamble.

"Sorry about that. Couldn't resist," Liz almost stuttered, she was so surprised. What was going _on _with this girl?

Anne rolled her eyes, not quite as mad as Liz thought she'd be. "She can be a royal pain, can't she?"

"Emphasis on the royal," Liz muttered without thinking. She looked at Anne worriedly, but the redhead was smirking back at her.

"Oh, if she could, she'd be a queen. If there was _any_ way, she'd find it."

"Imagine what that country would be like," Liz drifted off, then shuddered.

"It would probably be like St. Isabel's Preparatory School," Anne muttered darkly.

"What's that?"

"The school Catherine _wanted_ me to go to."

"You call your mom by her first name too?" Liz asked brightly, distracted for a second.

"Well, she isn't exactly the mothering type. . . She couldn't wait to send me off so they could 'shape me up.'"

"What's the school like?"

"Girls only. _Saturday_ classes. Mandatory church at seven AM every Sunday. The most hideous potato sack dresses as uniforms. No cell phones, iPods, computers, or televisions allowed. Oh, and only _seniors_ are allowed to leave campus. So in your free time, basically all you can do is your homework."

"That. . . sounds like hell."

"I know, right?"

"So, this sick thing?" Liz asked, gesturing to Anne.

"All an act," she grinned. "So I could be homeschooled instead. And get this—my tutor is _super_ hot."

"Sounds like a good alternative to me," Liz grinned as well.

"Yeah, so can you be a little more subtle in the future? I don't want Catherine finding out and sending me away."

"Your secret's safe with me," Liz promised solemnly.

Anne breathed out in relief and it was only then that Liz saw just how worried she had been. Liz could only imagine how terrified she would be, if Claire was forcing her to some school like St. Isabel's. She could hardly live without her computer, let alone without her _iPod._ Giving everything up? Never.

"So, back to the sitting room?" Anne offered, gesturing with her head.

Liz nodded. "You need to lead the way though. This place is like a labyrinth to me!"

Anne snorted—a gesture that would probably make her mother gasp in horror. "Yeah, with 'Lady Catherine' as the minotaur."

"So, Collin really calls her that. . . he wasn't joking?"

"Yeah. . . She loves him, of course. He's the only person who treats her the way she thinks she deserves."

"Oh, I know. He _worships _her. You should have heard him when he came to stay with my family. . . he wouldn't shut up about his beloved Lady Catherine! You know. . . if he could, I think he would've proposed to _her_."

Anne shook her head. "Mother wouldn't _lower_ herself to someone like him."

Liz snorted. "Oh, I'm sure. She wouldn't do anything to _lower_ herself."

"Speaking of lowering yourself. . ." Anne glanced at the sitting room door. Liz glanced up in surprise. They were already back?

"What is it, Anne?" Liz asked when the other girl didn't continue.

Anne winced. "Can you not call me that? That's such an old lady's name. . . Just call me Annie, okay?"

"Sure," Liz said with amusement. She really had no place to be amused, though. She felt the same way about 'Elizabeth.' "But what were you going to say? About lowering yourself?"

"You should apologize to Catherine. And before you say no. . . You're going to be staying here for two weeks. You _have_ to apologize, unless you want your Christmas to suck."

Liz sighed. "I _guess_."

"Come on," Annie grinned, flinging an arm over Liz's shoulders. "Bring in the sick girl."

Liz looked around jokingly. "Oh wait. That's you. I forgot. Faker."

"Shut it," Annie glared, but without any real malice.

Laughing slightly, Liz helped carry Annie in. As soon as she stepped into the room, all conversation halted, and all traces of laughter disappeared from Liz's face. She was just as solemn as Catherine, who was staring icily at Liz.

Liz led Annie over to the couch she'd been sitting at earlier. Catherine wasn't glaring anymore, but her expression wasn't pleasant either. Once Annie was sitting, Liz stepped back to address Catherine.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, what is it, girl?" Catherine sniffed, looking the other way.

"I've been talking to your daughter. . . and she convinced me to come back and apologize to you. I'm very sorry I was such a brat. I really spoke out of turn there. Your daughter is _way _more mature than I could ever be."

Well, if she was gonna apologize, she might as well make it a good one, right? Besides, it was all worth it, to see the look of shock on Catherine's face.

"Well! Apology accepted. Don't let it happen again!"

"It won't, ma'am," Liz said, head bowed. "I know my place now."

"Good girl," Catherine said, as if praising a dog. "You may be seated now."

"Thank you, ma'am," Liz said demurely, sitting in a chair next to Charlotte, who was also surprised at her friend's change of heart. Collin, on Charlotte's other side, looked perfectly smug, as if he knew all along that she was going to apologize the way she did.

"Collin. Remind me what we were speaking of before we were interrupted," Catherine commanded. There had never been a man more willing to obey.

"Music, ma'am."

"Ah, yes, of course." Catherine settled into the couch, still maintaining her decorum and flawless posture. "Do you play any instruments, Elizabeth? Perhaps you sing?"

Instead of correcting the lady about her name (she doubted she'd pay attention anyway), Liz answered politely, "Yes ma'am. I play the piano and guitar, and sing a little."

"We'll have to hear you sometime. Not now, of course, because I do not possess a guitar, and there isn't a piano in this room, but I have a fine one in my other sitting room. You should try it someday. You mentioned sisters. . . do they play or sing?"

Liz had to remind herself to behave. On one hand, she couldn't imagine why Catherine should care about her or her sisters, but she _did_ promise Annie that she would behave. "One of them plays piano," she said softly.

"Out of how many?"

"Five girls."

"_Five_? Why didn't you all learn? You all should have learned. Perhaps you draw?"

What was this? Instructions on how to raise proper young ladies? Since when has _drawing_ been a "fashionable" hobby? Still, Liz answered in all seriousness. "No, not at all."

"What, none of you?"

"Not one."

"That is very strange. But I suppose you had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to New York to study the art there."

Liz raised an eyebrow at the idea of it, but responded, "I'm sure she would've loved to go to New York, but my father can't stand the hustle and bustle."

"Are you all in high school then?"

"No ma'am. My twin and I are sophomores in high school, and we have a sister one year younger, but the other two are in their last year of middle school."

"And I suppose you all went to public school? How atrocious!"

Liz bit down a rude response and simply bowed her head, but not before catching a wink and a smile from Annie. The gesture gave her that much more inspiration to be good.

"Lady" Catherine went on and on then, bragging about the schooling she'd given her own daughter, and the poor but brilliant "young persons" she'd "generously" provided for. Liz assumed she could've continued all night, but Michael interrupted her to serve dinner.

The meal felt awkward to Liz, but Catherine chattered away so there was never a legitimate awkward silence. Whenever the "Lady" said something funny, Liz would share a glance with Annie or Charlotte, who would smirk back at her. As soon as dinner was over, Catherine went to bed, ordering the other girls to do the same. It wasn't proper, she said, for ladies to be up past dark. They missed out on their beauty sleep that way.

Liz didn't mind. She'd had quite enough of her cousin and his Lady, even though Collin hadn't gotten an arrogant word in with all of Catherine's judgments. Just being in the same room as him was more than enough for her. She didn't know how Charlotte was going to bear it.

Once they got back to their room, Liz wrote a message to Jane over facebook, describing the day's events to her. She made them funnier than they really were, because she knew that the one thing Jane really needed was a good laugh.

By the time she was done, it was eleven o'clock at night. Which made it one in the morning, eastern time. Exhausted didn't even begin to cut it. Before she could say so much as "goodnight" to Charlotte, she collapsed in bed and was asleep the instant her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Two days passed by quickly, and Christmas was only two days away. When Liz woke up bright and early on Tuesday (Catherine didn't allow the young ladies to sleep past nine), she found a message from Jane on facebook. She read it quickly, eyes flicking back and forth along the lines at a fervent speed. They soon began to fill, but she blinked the tears away to read the letter from her sister to the end.

"_Don't say I told you so, Lizzie. __**Please**__ don't say I told you so. You were right all along. Caroline never really liked me as a friend. I'm not really sure if she ever liked me at all. I don't know why she thought she had to lie to me. . . I never would've suspected it from her, no matter how much you tried to convince me. If someone else befriended me tomorrow, I would probably trust them just as much as I trusted Caroline, even if their intentions were the same._

"_Let me enlighten you. I've been calling Caroline ever since I got here, and she didn't reply until early this morning (Monday). She texted me, saying, 'Oh hi Jane! Are you in CA? We must do brunch!' I tried to make plans for lunch today, but she didn't reply again until three. I finally caught her though, and invited her over for snacks at Aunt Cassie's. She didn't arrive until six P.M. She never apologized for making me wait. She spent the entire time she was here (which wasn't very long) bragging about how much she (and Charlie) loves Georgie. . . and about all the upscale parties she's been going to. I almost wish you'd been here, to tell her off. She didn't even bother hiding the sneer on her face when she walked into the house! She left after twenty minutes without promising to call or anything. . . She was like a completely different person! Definitely not like the Caroline I knew back home._

"_When she left, I decided to get rid of her once and for all. You'll gasp, Lizzie, but I've deleted her from my friends list on facebook! Maybe it's a bit immature, but I know she won't notice. . . and the fewer reminders I have of her false friendship, the better. I'm actually angry at her, Liz! How could she do that to me? __**She's**__ the one who started the friendship, not me. And she was faking every minute of it! If she didn't really like me, why couldn't she just leave me be?_

"_I think I pity her, Liz. I'm sure she feels guilty. . . at least she __**should**__. And it's probably all out of worry for Charlie. . . Still, she shouldn't be afraid anymore. If he cared about me like I thought he did, he would've met me by now. According to Caroline, Cassie and I have been shopping in L.A. at the same time as __**them**__. . . We even went into the same stores! He must be avoiding me. _

"_He's got to know by now how close I am. Caroline hinted at it herself. She really wanted to rub it in, the fact that he likes Georgiana. It almost seemed like she was trying to convince herself! If I were you, I'd probably think there was something fishy going on, but I'd rather not even think about it at all. I'm just going to think happy thoughts. . . like my sister who loves me (that would be you, doofus), and my aunt and uncle who've been the absolute __**nicest **__to me. . ._

"_You know, if you want to visit for Christmas, that would be okay. I'd actually __**really**__ like that right now._

"_Write back when you can, okay? Love you!"_

And that was the end of it. Liz sent back a reply (nothing special. . . just how terrible and bitchy Caroline was, and how Charlie didn't deserve an absolute angel like Jane anyway) before pulling herself together and getting dressed for the day. Catherine didn't require her presence, and Charlotte was still trying to drag herself out of bed, so Liz decided to wander the castle.

Actually, Liz wanted to walk around the gardens outside, but since she _still_ didn't know how to get anywhere in that huge house of Catherine's, she just walked around the inside instead. She really started to hope she would bump into someone. . . _anyone_. She was really starting to get hungry.

Just when her stomach's growling was getting to be unbearable, she saw someone in the not-so-far distance. It was a guy, definitely, but he wasn't as tall and bulky as Michael, or as lanky as Collin. Liz knew that Mr. DeBourgh was dead, and the only other "servants" were the cook and the maid (both women), so who was it?

After a bit of debating (not much. Her hungry stomach won after too long), she ran after the man. "Hey! You!"

He turned around, and Liz saw that he wasn't a man. Not _quite_. A guy? He wasn't exactly a boy either. He was in his late teens, at _least_. There was even a chance that he was in college, not high school. He was very cute though, with soft-looking golden brown hair under a black beanie, with a plain black t-shirt stretched over his flat chest. He had a large professional camera on a strap around his neck, but he looked more like an artist than a tourist.

"Yeah?" he said, with a _very_ cute grin.

"I don't know if you know your way around this monstrosity of a place, but I'm totally lost and if I don't eat something soon, I might have to resort to chewing off my own fingers."

"Your own fingers, huh? Are they tasty?" he asked, eyes twinkling.

"I don't know yet," Liz frowned at her hands. "But they're starting to look absolutely delicious."

The guy laughed. "Well, how about I show you to the kitchen? I was actually already headed that way."

"Thank _God_," Liz breathed, catching up with him.

"I don't mean to be rude," he said when she fell in step beside him, "but who are you?"

"Oh, my name's Liz. Liz Bennet. My cousin, Collin is gonna be the pastor or rector or whatever here. . . and he's engaged to my best friend, so he invited both of us to stay for Christmas. Catherine didn't think it was proper of us to stay in his little preacher's cottage, so she invited all three of us to stay in the main house with her and Annie."

"Oh, you're the girl from the East coast. The one who caused that uproar last Saturday?"

"Yup, and proud of it, too," she replied with a grin. "And you are. . . ?"

"Fish."

Liz wasn't sure she heard him correctly. "_Fish_?"

He nodded. "Yup! It's actually Fitz, but when I was about three or so, my little cousin Georgie couldn't pronounce Fitz. . . and her little nickname for me kinda stuck. So yeah. . . Fish Darcy, at your service!"

Liz stopped in the middle of the hallway. Fish kept walking a little while longer before realizing she wasn't beside him anymore. He turned, then blinked in surprise at her being so far behind him. He walked back to her.

"Your last name is Darcy?" she asked softly.

"Yup! Has been since I was born. Why?"

"Do you have a brother? First name William?"

Fish laughed. "You're talking about my cousin. Goes by Darcy? The cousin who called me Fish is his little sister, Georgiana."

"He went to my school," Liz breathed, unable to add anything beyond that little sentence. No way. _No_ way. Darcy was related to this kid? This _nice_ guy? Impossible! One, they were too different. Two, it wasn't _that_ small a world after all. Or was it? But. . . it couldn't be!

"Oh yeah, he told me about that." Realization dawned on Fish. "Wait, _you're_ the eyes girl?"

"Uh, what?"

"Oh my God, that's right. You don't know!" Fish chuckled. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing."

"Fitz," Liz growled. She'd feel too much like an idiot snapping out his nickname. "Tell me what it is. _Now_."

"You know, you're _almost_ as scary as cousin dearest when you do that."

"Fitz."

"Sorry. No can do. But I _can_ get you the best freaking breakfast _ever_. Have you ever had Nutella crescent rolls?"

Sighing, Liz asked, "What are Nutella crescent rolls?" She knew she wouldn't be able to get him to crack on an empty stomach.

"Glad you asked," Fish smirked, then offered an arm. Liz hooked her own arm through his. "Let me make it for you. Seriously? Breakfast of _champions_."

* * *

The Nutella crescent rolls were exactly as Fish had advertised and then some. Light and fluffy, with a chocolate filling. . . Liz certainly knew what _she_ was going to eat for every breakfast for the rest of her life.

Once they finished eating, they remained in the kitchen, joking and laughing. Annie joined them shortly.

"What's going on in here?" she grinned.

"Annie-bananie!" Fish exclaimed, jumping up to hug her.

"I guess he knows your secret too," Liz stated dryly.

"Yeah," Annie said casually, being hugged to death by Fish. She was so much smaller than him, so thin and delicate that Liz almost feared for her, but then she remembered the way Annie had run with her a few days before. . . and Annie hadn't even been tired. The tiny girl was much stronger than she let on.

"He's known the entire time, basically," Annie added when Fish finally let her go.

Liz shook her head slowly as she smiled. "I don't know how I'm gonna remember who knows and who doesn't. . ."

"Well, I only tell people who know the secret to call me Annie. . . So if someone calls me Anne, you can guess that they're in the dark."

Liz nodded, raising her eyebrows. "Huh. Pretty clever."

"I know," Annie smirked.

Fish slapped her on the back of the head. At Liz's look, he just grinned wickedly. "When she's stuck with her mom too long, she tends to get a big head. I have to slap her back down whenever I visit."

"Oh yeah," Liz grinned back at him. "I'll bet ole Cathy _never_ stops bragging about her beloved Anne."

Fish and Annie both snorted simultaneously. "Cathy?" Annie snickered. "_Cathy?_"

"What, too familiar?" Liz asked, ignoring their sputtering.

"Yeah, a little bit," Fish sighed, the way one does after a good laugh.

"I like her," he said in an aside to Annie.

"Yeah, me too," she replied, neither of them bothering to lower their voices.

In response, Liz turned and stage whispered to the air over her shoulder, "I really like these guys. Although, I wish they'd stop talking about me in front of my face. It's a bit rude, even if they _are_ saying nice things."

Annie and Fish began laughing again. "She's crazy," Annie chuckled.

Fish nodded his agreement. "I like that about her."

"Again," Liz muttered. "I'm right here."

"Aw, sorry, Liz," Fish said with a smile, shrugging slightly.

"Yeah, did we hurt your wittle feelings?" Annie added with a smirk.

Raising an eyebrow, Liz spun on her heel. "See you later."

Laughing slightly, Fish grabbed her arm. "Hey, don't listen to her. She's just spoiled rotten because mommy dearest buys her everything her precious little heart desires."

"That is _not_ true," Annie frowned, folding her arms.

"The pony when you were five. . ."

"You got a _pony?_" Liz gaped.

Annie glared at Fish. "That so doesn't count!"

"The beauty salon for your tenth birthday. . ."

Liz's jaw dropped. "You have your own personal _beauty salon?"_

"A small one," Annie muttered, embarrassedly.

"Not to mention that private concert when you turned fourteen."

"A private _concert?_" Liz shrieked. "Fish, who played?"

Fish ticked off each band on his fingers. "Hey Monday, The Maine, A Rocket to the Moon, The Summer Set and The Cab."

"No fucking way. . ." Liz drifted off. Her favorite bands? Her knees went weak, so she tried to sit, but there wasn't a chair behind her. She simply fell to the floor, sitting there and staring at Annie in shock.

"I mean, they all did acoustic sets. . ." Annie shifted uncomfortably. "And I put up posters around town so a lot of people that I didn't know showed up. . . It was a public concert really. . . On a private property where everyone had to be searched before they were let in the gate. . ."

Liz's wide-eyed awe turned into a glare. "Next time. You are inviting me. And my sister."

"Or what?" Annie challenged. It was as if she _expected_ Liz to blackmail her with the information she knew.

"Or. . . I'll make your hot private tutor fall in love with me! And then he'll never like _you._"

The teasing tone was back in the conversation. Annie grinned, before sighing in "defeat."

"Damn. I guess I'll have to invite you then."

"I mean you don't _have_ to," Liz said quickly. She didn't want Annie to think she only wanted to be friends for the perks. . . because honestly, she _did_ want to be friends with Annie, but because she genuinely liked her. The girl had spunk.

"No, I want to," Annie grinned, making both Liz and Fish grin. Annie helped Liz back up to her feet.

"Aw _guys_," he cooed. "It's like we're all BFFs now!"

Liz and Annie shared a look and seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking. They both gave Fish a slightly disgusted look.

"Uh, yeah, _Liz_ and I are BFFs. . ." Annie started, sneering slightly.

"We didn't say anything about _you_," Liz finished, upper lip curling.

"Ouch," Fish winced.

"Just kidding, Fish!" Annie grinned, hugging him.

"Yeah, Trout, we _loveeeee_ you!" Liz jumped in, making it a group hug.

"Trout?" Fish glared at Liz.

"Yeah, get used to it, Guppy. There's a lot more where that came from."

He sighed, not even bothering to fight back. "Already used to it."

"Good, _Bass_," Annie giggled.

"Um, sorry, but it only works when Liz does it," Fish stepped out of the hug, shrugging almost sheepishly.

Annie glared at him. "We are _so_ not friends anymore."

"I still love you, though," Liz winked at him.

"Come on, _Liz_," Annie grabbed her. "Let's leave this big baby childish jerk alone!"

"Bye Dolphin!" Liz grinned, waving at him as Annie pulled her through the swinging door that led out of the kitchen.

"That's not even a fish!" he yelled after her. "Dolphins are _mammals!"_

Liz turned her head over her shoulder to yell back, "It's called poetic license, buddy!"

With her head turned, Liz was unable to see where she was going and bumped into something. Except the something that she bumped into felt more like some_one_. . .

"Darcy!" Annie shrieked.

"Darcy?" Fish popped out of the kitchen.

"_Darcy_?" Liz gasped, whipping her head around so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. Sure enough, the tall brunette in front of her was none other than William Darcy.

Annie pushed in front of Liz to give Darcy a big hug. "I've missed you so much! I haven't seen you in _forever!_"

"Sorry," he laughed embarrassedly, looking far less composed than Liz had ever seen him.

"Oh my god, it's been so _long_," Fish yanked Annie away to give Darcy a hug of his own. "I don't think I've seen you since this _morning_!"

"Shut up," Darcy muttered, pushing him away, but his eyes were sparkling.

"Liz?" Annie turned back to the silent girl. Liz was totally and completely unable to speak.

Him. _Him_. Darcy! The boy who insulted her. . . The boy who ruined Wickham. . .The boy who might've had something to do with the way Charlie and Jane were separated. . .The boy who could freeze her with a single glance. . .The boy who made her heart race when he held her. . .The boy who walked all the way into the next town with her, to make sure she was safe. . . The boy who demanded separation from his own father. . . The boy she thought she'd never meet again. _Ever._

"What is he doing here?" she finally managed to whisper to Annie.

"He's here with Fish, of course. Fish isn't directly related to _me_. . . why else would a guy like _Fish_ be here?" Annie replied, smirking slightly at Fish as she spoke.

"Forget the fact that you and Georgie have been following Darcy and me around since you were _born_," Fish replied scathingly.

"He's got a point," Darcy said reasonably to Annie.

"Shut up," Annie muttered.

Liz's mind was racing. Annie wasn't directly related to Fish. Fish was Darcy's cousin. How was Darcy related to Annie? Suddenly, she flashed back one month, to the party at Charlie's house on Netherfield Place. She remembered Collin introducing himself to Darcy. . . Of course! Darcy and Annie were also cousins!

"So. . . You're visiting for Christmas?" Liz said abruptly.

Darcy blinked, looking at her in surprise. "Yes. We'll be staying here at least a week. . . Well, until the end of winter break."

Liz was stuck in a house with Darcy for over a week? _And_ with Collin and Catherine? She leaned back against the wall, suddenly feeling very weary. It was going to be a _long_ break.


	19. We Are Speaking of Music, Madam

"Anyway. . ." Darcy turned back to his cousins. "I was looking for you. Catherine has requested our presence," he said, rolling his eyes slightly.

"Well, come on then," Annie sighed. "Shouldn't leave ole _Cathy_ waiting," she said with a wink at Liz.

Darcy looked between the two. "She knows?"

"I've known since I first got here," Liz replied. Darcy could only be talking about Annie's "sick" act.

"Really," he asked, except it sounded more like a statement with his eyebrow raised the way it was.

"Yup!" Annie grinned brightly. "And now we're BFFs!"

"Annie, are you sure this is okay? I mean, you barely know her. How do you know—"

"How does she know whether or not I'll tell?" Liz interrupted. "Do you think I don't know how to keep a secret? That I'll spill the beans when I'm gossiping to my little friends? I mean, you've already made it quite clear what you think of my intelligence."

"I didn't mean it like that," he said calmly.

"I'm not like my _mother_, William Darcy. _I_ have no problem with secrets! _I_ know how to keep them."

"You are quite possibly the last person I'd _ever_ compare to Claire Bennet," he spat the name as if it was a curse. "No offense to your mother, of course."

"Oh, offend her all you want. I won't care," Liz shrugged.

"But now, I've got to ask _you_. . . What are you doing here?"

Fish and Annie watched their exchange as if it was a tennis game, back and forth. They stared at Liz, waiting to see how she'd respond.

"I'm here with my cousin, Collin. You met him. . . at Charlie's party. . . You remember it. It was the last time Jane and Charlie ever saw each other."

"I don't remember meeting a Collin," Darcy said, shifting uncomfortably. Wait. _Did_ he have something to do with Jane's and Charlie's separation?

"You sure? He was really obnoxious. . .probably insulted you. . ."

"I think I remember him now," he said quickly.

"Yeah, well, I'm here with him and Charlotte. She's his fiancée. Can you believe it? Engaged at sixteen."

"I hear it was almost _you_," Annie made a face.

"_What?_" Darcy and Fish both stared at Annie in shock.

"How do you know that?" Liz narrowed her eyes at the redhead.

"I'm friends with Michael," she shrugged. "Sorry, he totally spilled everything. It's a good thing that I'm the only person he'll gossip with. Otherwise the whole house would know. . . Including my _mother_."

"Yeah, imagine how she'd react to Collin being engaged to a trouser wearing _heathen_ like me!" Liz snorted, not really upset about Michael telling Annie. If she knew Annie's secret, it was only fair that Annie knew hers.

"Liz, what are you talking about?" Fish asked slowly.

Liz sighed, knowing that she'd have to tell the two boys the truth now. "Well, before he proposed to Charlotte, Collin asked _me_ to marry him."

"You said no, of course," Fish sputtered.

"Of _course_! I don't know what's wrong with Collin's head but _he_ didn't see anything wrong in marrying your own cousin. . . or proposing to her when she's _fifteen_."

"You're only fifteen?" Fish raised him eyebrows. "I would've guessed older."

"Well, my birthday's in two weeks, so I'll be sixteen then. . ."

"Still, you seem older than that."

Liz just shrugged. She noticed Darcy staring at her. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"You were almost engaged to _him_?"

"Well, in my mind it was never an option, so no. He couldn't take no for an answer, though."

"Yeah, and then you slammed a bowl of chocolate ice cream on his head," Annie giggled.

"My mom was _so_ mad," Liz laughed. "_She_ wanted me to marry him. Luckily, my dad was on my side."

"You put a bowl of ice cream on his head," Darcy stated slowly, while Fish howled with laughter.

"Well he was insulting me! He was saying all this sexist stuff, like how I didn't have any money, and I wouldn't be able to get any _more_ being a "lady," and then, guess what he said!" Liz ranted, not even noticing it was Darcy she was talking to.

"What?"

"He said, and I quote, 'I'm not certain a better offer will ever be made to you. In fact. . . I believe I'm the best that _you_ will ever get.' How awful is that?"

"Terrible," Darcy agreed with a slight smile.

"I really hate that guy," Liz sighed. "Speaking of, we should probably go meet him and "Lady Cathy" now."

Annie composed herself, nodding. "She's probably in her weekday sitting room."

Liz raised an eyebrow at her, and Annie nodded. "We have a sitting room for the weekend, and one for the week. There's also a more formal one, for when she's entertaining _adults_."

Liz marveled at the idea of having something so needless as a "sitting room." Let alone three! She walked with Annie, arm in arm, while Darcy dragged Fish behind them, who was _still_ laughing.

As they walked in, Liz realized the significance of being in the _other_ sitting room. This one was the one with the _piano_. I think you can see where this is going.

Charlotte and Collin looked up when they walked in, and Charlotte gave Liz a look. Liz knew she'd have a _lot_ of explaining to do.

"William! Come sit here," Catherine commanded, directing him to a chair next to hers.

Liz sat on an empty couch between Annie (who was silent and sullen, in order to keep up appearances) and Fish. Darcy was forced to listen to Catherine on one side and Collin on the other, while Charlotte listened on to the babble from her fiancé and his Lady, barely able to hide her amusement.

"So. . ." Liz drifted off, whispering so Catherine couldn't hear. "Favorite music?"

"Mae," Fish stated, keeping his voice low and his head ducked close to Liz. "All time favorite, without a doubt."

Annie made a face, because she didn't know who that was, but Liz gasped. "_You're_ a fan of Mae? I've never met anyone who's even _heard_ of them!"

"Really? That's terrible, they're _such_ a good band!"

"I know!" Liz enthused. "Their acoustic version of Sun is what inspired me to learn to play guitar in the first place!"

"You play guitar?"

"Yeah, and a little bit of piano. . . the piano is terrible, though. The only song I know by heart is _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_."

Annie snorted, thinking back to when Catherine invited Liz to play on their piano. She guessed Liz wasn't going to do _that_ any time soon. Annie was starting to look like a third wheel with Fish and Liz, but she didn't really mind. It was her own fault, for acting like a little sicky all the time.

Fish laughed, shaking his head. "That's sad Liz, that really is."

"Well," she sputtered, crossing her arms, "What instruments do _you_ play?"

"Piano and guitar, just like you. . . Except maybe a little better than you. My dad made me take piano lessons from the minute I was old enough to know what a piano _was_. It's how _proper_ children are raised," he added, sounding kind of disgusted.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So all of you. . ." Liz drifted off. If Fish's dad made _him_ learn piano, wouldn't Georgiana and Darcy have learned? Since their dad was Fish's dad's brother?

"Darcy, Georgie, Annie and I _all_ took piano lessons growing up. I think Georgie and Darcy are the only ones who actually liked them, though. Darcy went on to learn guitar, drums _and_ bass. He could be his own rock band!"

Liz snorted, but she didn't want to talk about _Darcy_. She was still curious about this piano thing. "So what kind of piano—"

"The classics, of course," Fish cut her off. "_Only_ the classics. That's how we do it in the _upper_ class," he sniffed pompously (and jokingly).

Liz huffed. She didn't like being interrupted. "I guess you couldn't join a band or anything. . . it would probably be too difficult for you to play such _lower class_ music."

Fish raised an eyebrow at her. "You think I couldn't do it?"

"No, no. . ." Liz drifted off, looking away. She accidentally caught eyes with Darcy, who was staring at them curiously. How long had he been looking at them? "Forget I said anything," she added.

"You don't think I could do it," Fish stated, a smirk on his face.

Liz turned back to him, a puckish grin on her face. "It's not that I don't think you _could_, silly little Clownfish. . . It's just that I don't think you could do it very _well_. There, I said it!"

"Well, _Elizabeth_, I beg to disagree."

"Disagree all you like," she smirked. "That won't make you right."

Fish moved closer, forcing his face right in front of hers. It was almost as if they were about to kiss, if there wasn't so much faux-tension in the air from their fake fight. "Oh, I am _definitely_ right, my dear Elizabeth."

Undaunted, she moved even closer. "Oh yeah? _Prove_ it."

"What are you saying, Fitz Henry?" Catherine snapped.

"Damn," he muttered in Liz's ear. "Breaking out the middle name. I bet she's pissed."

He sat back slowly, sharing a lingering look with Liz as his sort-of aunt continued.

"What are the two of you talking about? What are you whispering in Elizabeth's ear? Tell me what it is."

Mind racing, he gave Liz another smoldering look. Liz almost gasped out loud. Was he _interested_ in her? Finally, he replied, "We were talking about _music_."

"Oh! Music! Don't let it be a secret then, Fitz! I _adore_ music! There is no one else on this coast who loves it more than I do, or who has better musical taste than I!"

"Wanna bet?" Liz mumbled, so only Annie and Fish could hear her. They smirked.

"If my parents had ever had the sense to give me lessons, there is no doubt that I would have _mastered_ the piano. My poor Anne's health kept her from getting very skilled, but I'm sure she would've been _spectacular_, if her health had allowed her. Which reminds me. . . William, how is Georgiana doing?"

"Very well, ma'am. She even won the talent show at her school last week."

"I am glad to hear it," Catherine said with such pride, you'd think it was _her_ winning the talent show. "Please remind her, for me, to practice. She'll never excel if she doesn't practice every day."

"Trust me, ma'am, she doesn't need a reminder. She practices _constantly_."

"Very good. You know, I often tell young ladies that they will never be excellent in music if they do not practice. I was just saying to Elizabeth the other day that she must play the piano while she's here. How else can she practice and get better?"

Darcy looked at Liz in what seemed like surprise. He didn't know she played the piano? Well, she didn't. Not really. She played the same way as a five year old, plunking down keys with only her index finger. Which wasn't really playing at all. . .

"Very kind of you ma'am," Liz said, grinding her teeth. She was _not_ about to embarrass herself in front of Annie, Fish, and most of all, _Darcy_.

Fish perked up. "Catherine, why doesn't she play right now?"

"Right now?" Liz spun around to glare at Fish.

"Wonderful idea, Fitz! Yes, Elizabeth. You must play for us."

"Catherine, ma'am, you don't understand. . . I'm good. . . at _guitar. _I play the piano like a five year—"

"Stop babbling, girl. I do not accept excuses. You _must_ play. You told me you could. Were you lying?"

"Of course not, _ma'am_," Liz muttered, putting a bit too much stress on the 'ma'am' part. "Right away, _ma'am_."

She stood abruptly, glaring at Fish. "_Twinkle twinkle,_" she mouthed.

Rolling his eyes with a grin, Fish hopped up and followed Liz to the piano bench, sitting beside her.

"Is that really the only song you know?" he breathed in her ear.

"The _only_ one," she whispered back.

"We're _waiting_," Anne said loudly, speaking for the first time since they joined her mother. She smirked at Liz knowingly.

Sighing, Liz lifted her right hand, pointer finger extended. Fish made no attempt to help her out. . . He was officially no longer her friend.

To help herself remember the notes, Liz had to sing them as she played them. . . and play them she did. "C, C, G, G, A, A, D."

Fish sang the actual lyrics in a whisper, so only Liz could hear. "Twinkle, twinkle little star."

"F, F, E, E, D, D, C."

"How I wonder what you are."

"G, G, F, F, E, E, D."

"Up above the world so high."

"G, G, F, F, E, E, D."

"Like a diamond in the sky."

"C, C, G, G, A, A, D."

"Twinkle, twinkle little star."

"F, F, E, E, D, D, C."

"How I wonder what you are."

Catherine stared at Liz as if she couldn't understand what just happened. Liz, blushing, stared back innocently. Annie was lying down on the now-empty couch, her face buried in a pillow to hide her laughter. Charlotte had one hand over her mouth, and so did her fiancé. . . Except his hand was on his face in horror, and Charlotte was simply trying to hide a smile. Darcy made no such efforts, and Liz watched the grin spread slowly across his face with dread. She could only _imagine_ how he was going to tease her now.

"Don't you know any _other_ songs?" Catherine sputtered.

"Baa, Baa, Black Sheep and the alphabet song, but that's about it," she muttered to Fish, who grinned.

"That's all the same song, stupid."

"Shut up. I hate you right now."

"Elizabeth!" Catherine snapped. "Are you making a _mockery_ of me?"

"Don't worry, I got you," Fish whispered to Liz before answering Catherine for her. "Of course not, ma'am! _I_ requested that particular song. She'll play something much better now."

Liz glared at Fish. "Great cover, except for one little problem. . . I _can't_ play anything better than that! Except for maybe 10 seconds of the Harry Potter theme song, and I have to work that out as I play, because I barely remember it!"

Fish snorted, shaking his head. "I _said_ don't worry! Now, move your hands."

"What?"

Fish's hands fell on the keyboard, playing a very familiar intro. He glared at Liz, who was sitting there, dumbstruck.

"Move your hands!" he hissed. "She'll think _you're_ playing!"

Liz looked up, realizing that at that angle, Catherine couldn't see the keys, or who was (or wasn't) playing them. Liz, instead of pretending to play, simply laid her hands on top of Fish's, careful not to get in the way.

She pretended to play the Prologue to Mae's CD, The Everglow. She exchanged a grin with Fish. She should've known he'd play something like this. The Prologue lasted about thirty seconds or so before leading into the first song on the album. . . Liz's favorite.

The song sounded very different without any vocals, and Liz couldn't help whispering the words to herself.

"_Remembering everything about my world and when you came. Wondering the change you'd bring, means nothing else would be the same. . ."_

Liz looked up. Catherine seemed appeased, and Charlotte was smirking knowingly at Liz. Darcy's reaction was the most interesting of them all. His eyes wide, he stood abruptly. He literally snapped up from his chair. He drifted over to the piano, as if magnetically drawn to it. Breathing deeply, he stopped beside Liz, noticing that Fish was the one playing.

"This song. . ." He breathed, staring at her.

"It's the one we danced to," Liz finished softly.

Darcy nodded, but didn't move. He simply stared at Liz, with an expression so deep that it put Fish's smoldering to shame. It was as if his eyes were trying to dig inside her brain and unearth her every secret. As always, Liz froze, only her hands moving, because Fish was moving underneath them.

Gulping, she finally looked away. "You trying to scare me or something?" she asked softly. Without Darcy's eyes on hers, she regained her strength. "You should know by now. . . I'm not afraid of you. I'm much too stubborn for that."

She couldn't look at him to gauge his emotions. . . It would be too difficult to look away a second time. She could only use his voice. "I doubt I could frighten you, even if I tried," he replied, a hint of mirth in his voice. "And besides. . . I know you well enough at this point to know that you love to put words in other people's mouths without stopping to care what they _really_ think."

Liz couldn't help but laugh at this idea of herself. Did he really think that of her? She turned to Fish. "If it were up to _Darcy_, you wouldn't believe a single word I said." She turned back to the man standing beside her, staring in the space right between his eyes, rather than get lost in those bottomless pools of ice. "If you don't play nice," she warned with a grin. "I'll have to retaliate. . . I'm sure your cousin would _love_ to hear how you acted back on the East coast."

He grinned back at her. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Tell me _everything_!" Fish said, gleefully. "I wanna know _just_ how bad he was!"

"All right, I'll tell you. . . but prepare yourself. It's pretty bad. . . The first time I met him was the first day of school. . . And he didn't talk to _anyone_. In fact. . . he looked down on just about everyone there. He _sneered_ at them!"

"Seriously?" Fish laughed as he played.

"I did not _sneer_. I just didn't know anyone," Darcy muttered.

"And it's not like you were introduced to anyone, were you?" Liz asked mockingly. He knew very well that Charlotte introduced herself and the elder twins to everyone that day. . . Darcy was just being antisocial.

"I don't like talking to strangers," Darcy muttered.

"And why is that, Darcy?" Liz asked, raising her eyebrow.

"I. . . I'm not good at talking to people I've never met before."

"Do you think I'm good at the piano? If I had _practiced_ like your aunt said, I might be able to play this song on my own!" Liz sent a pointed look to her hands, which were still resting on top of Fish's. "Talking to strangers is the same as playing piano. You'll never be good if you don't practice."

Darcy smiled. "You're right."

Liz gasped. "_What?_ What was that? Did William Darcy just admit that I, Elizabeth Bennet am _right?_ Call the New York Times! This is front page material!"

Darcy punched her shoulder lightly. "I was _saying_. . . Yeah, I should practice talking to strangers."

"Great!" Fish grinned as the song wound to a close. "Let's go tonight!"

"What?"

"Practice, that is! You, Annie, Liz, and I should go have a night on the town! You can practice your talking!"

Darcy snorted. "I know how to _talk_."

"Not to _strangers_. Come on, it'll be fun! We can do karaoke!"

Liz frowned. "Can Charlotte come too? I'd feel bad, leaving her out."

"Sure," Fish grinned, then he frowned as well. "As long as she doesn't invite her fiancé."

Liz nodded. "Charlotte," she called across the room. "I need to speak with you."

Charlotte came over after excusing herself to Collin and Catherine. "What is it, Liz?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out tonight with me, Fish, Darcy and Annie."

"Sure!" Charlotte grinned. "I suppose you don't want my dear Collin to come along. . ." she drifted off, raising an eyebrow playfully.

"No, not at _all_," Liz groaned.

Charlotte laughed. "Yeah, I think he'd _love_ the chance to share a dinner alone with his 'Lady Catherine.' Thanks for the invite!"

And with that, Charlotte hustled back to her seat. Collin's expression seemed envious. . . Was he jealous of Charlotte being next to two other boys? She wasn't even _talking_ to them!

"Liz," Darcy said softly. "She doesn't know about Annie."

"Oh yeah," Liz drifted off softly. "Way to tell me that _after_ I invited her!" she snapped, glaring at him.

"What's going on over here? It's like a secret powwow or something," Annie smirked.

Woah. Liz did a double take. "When did _you_ get over here?"

"While you were glaring at my cousin. Scoot over. I'm sick, so I have to sit all the time."

Liz pushed Fish until he slid over on the piano bench, making room for Annie on the end. "I'm sorry, Annie."

"What did you do?" the redhead scrutinized the older girl.

"Well, Fish had the idea of the four of us going out together tonight, you know, to have fun. . . And I felt bad leaving Charlotte behind, so I invited her, but now you're gonna have to act like a sickie the whole time, so that she won't figure out your secret," Liz spoke quickly, letting the words come out in a rush.

After staring at Liz for a moment, Annie burst out laughing. "Oh, is that all? It's _fine_."

"What?"

"Well, you trust her, right?"

"With my life, practically."

"Then we can tell her the secret. She's gonna be coming here a lot more in the next few years. . . She'd figure it out eventually. Besides, I'd like to have another ally in the house. . ."

"You sure?" Liz asked, watching Annie's expression carefully.

"Positive!" Annie grinned.

"All _right_!" Fish cheered, and Annie hushed him. "Partay tonight!" he finished in a whisper.

Liz grinned, then thought of something. She whispered as well, "But how do we get Cathy to let Annie come?"

Darcy, who'd leaned over to hear them, straightened up. "Leave it to me."


	20. Annie's Night on the Town

Later that evening, the girls were getting "all dolled up" in Charlotte and Liz's room. They all exchanged clothes until they were fully satisfied with their outfits, going all out for their night on the town.

Annie, who was eager to get out for the first time since she couldn't even remember when, went a little wild. With a combination military/biker theme, she wore army green skinny cargoes with a gray, cowl neck tank top. Since the weather was in the 50s and windy, she added a navy army-style jacket for warmth. Accessorizing, she added a dog tag necklace (keeping up with the army theme) gold bangles on one wrist (which matched the gold trim on her jacket) and a black, studded leather cuff on the other wrist (which matched the studded black ankle boots she chose to wear).

Charlotte, in her slightly bookish style, wore a white lace shirt dress with an empire waist and tan leather oxfords. To keep warm, she added a bright blue beret, an olive green, wool cardigan, and black leg warmers, which made Annie giggle. At Liz's insistence, she wore jewelry—just _one_ necklace—a combination cameo and locket necklace.

Liz copied Annie's idea to wear boots, except hers were brown, in the knee high riding style. She layered high-waist acid wash jean shorts over black tights, with a flowy, gray racerback tank covering the top of the shorts. To cover her shoulders, she wore an unbuttoned navy boyfriend blazer with the sleeves rolled up, showing the white and blue striped lining. When Charlotte pointed out that _Liz_ wasn't wearing any jewelry, she threw on the pocket watch necklace she'd worn the first day.

"Happy now?" Liz asked, her hands on her hips.

"It's not fair of you to make _me_ accessorize if you aren't going to!" Charlotte pouted.

Annie snorted. "You guys should be happy. _You_ don't have to watch what you're wearing every day to make sure your mom thinks you're too sick to care about fashion."

"Yeah?" Charlotte asked, raising a critical eyebrow(she already knew Annie's whole story). "What kind of fashion is _that_?"

Annie grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at Charlotte. "It's _good_ fashion, okay? What are you? The jazzercise nerd princess, or something?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. That is _exactly_ what I am. Let me guess what you are. . . Army biker brat?"

Annie stuck out her tongue. "Maybe I am! So what?"

"So it suits you," Charlotte shrugged, backing off with a grin. "But what is _Liz?_"

The two girls turned on Liz, scrutinizing her outfit. "It's like. . ." Annie drifted off in thought. "Indie equestrian businessman. Or something."

"Indie equestrian businessman?" Liz raised an eyebrow. "Does that even exist?"

"If it does, you're what it looks like," Charlotte said matter-of-factly, agreeing with Annie.

Liz sighed, rolling her eyes. "You two are ridic."

"Ridic?" Annie asked, puzzled.

"She abbreviates the most random things," Charlotte rolled her eyes conspiratorially. "It's short for ridiculous."

Annie snorted. "_She's_ the one who's 'ridic.'"

Liz folded her arms, staring blankly at the two other girls. Often, when two friends of one person meet, and they don't know each other, they tend to make fun of the person they have in common, in order to bond. Liz knew that was what they were doing, but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

"Sorry, Lizzy," Charlotte grinned, only looking slightly apologetic. "Shall we go now?"

"We shall," Liz said snootily, making Annie slap her in the back of the head.

"Hey! _You're_ the one who's supposed to be slapped like that! By Tiger Shark, remember?"

"You mean Fish," Annie said, sullenly. She was still upset that Fish wouldn't let her refer to him as different types of fish. Or maybe she was just jealous, that she didn't think of it first.

"Isn't that what I said?" Liz asked innocently.

"Whatever," Annie sighed. "Now, come on! I'm ready to get out of this prison!"

The girls left the room, walking quickly and quietly down to the kitchen, where the back door was. Darcy said he'd convinced Catherine to let Annie out for the night, but they still didn't want to risk bumping into her on the way down. . . just in case.

The boys were waiting for them in the kitchen. "What _took_ you so long?" Fish muttered.

"We had to get all pretty for you guys. Appreciate it," Annie snapped, making Fish slap her head.

"Come on," Darcy said, holding the back door open. "I'm driving."

"We're gonna parrr-tay and partay harrr-day!" Annie sang, dancing around the island in the kitchen.

"Hey, I have a question," Liz interrupted suddenly, looking at Darcy. He merely raised an eyebrow at her. "How did you get Catherine to say yes to this?"

Darcy stared her down, only after glancing at the ground almost shyly. If he had been a weaker man, maybe he would've blushed. "I told her it would be a double date. Me and Annie. . . You and Fish."

"What about me?" Charlotte raised her eyebrows.

Darcy shrugged, a smirk crossing his face. "I asked Collin. Apparently he wasn't interested. But _you_ were."

Liz scrutinized him. "Did you _really_ ask my cousin?"

Darcy glanced away, with a face like he was barely able to contain his laughter. He swallowed, and was stoic once again. "There is a possibility that he may not remember my asking him. . ." he drifted off.

Liz smirked. "He won't remember. . . because it never happened."

"_Shh!_" Fish said, exaggeratedly hushing her.

"And _you_," Liz turned to Fish. "Are my date. Apparently."

"Yeah. Apparently." Fish grinned with faux innocence. "Funny how that happened." He paused. "It's not like I _like_ you or anything. . . No ulterior _motives_ or anything silly like that!" As a joke, he chuckled darkly.

"Silly little Tuna," Playing along, Liz shook her head, smiling indulgently and pretending like she was totally ignorant.

"So, _sugar dumpling,"_ he offered Liz his arm. She hooked her elbow through. "You excited for tonight?"

"_Oh_ so very excited, my little minnow. But if you want to be my date, I have one condition."

The others watched them with amusement. "Anything for you, puddingpie!" Fish replied enthusiastically.

To everyone's surprise (especially Charlotte's), Liz grabbed Charlotte's arm and pulled her to her other side. "You have to let Charlotte be my date_ too_."

Charlotte grinned. "Sounds good to me!"

"Oh, _fine_, orange blossom," Fish sighed. "But I'm cuter, right?"

Liz looked at Fish, then looked at Charlotte. "Hmm. . . It's definitely close," she mused. "I. . . I can't say. Let's just leave it at that, okay?" she chirped, patting Fish's cheek.

"Okay," he shrugged, then pulled the two girls out the door.

"Hurry up, you love birds!" Liz called, looking back at Annie and Darcy. Annie stuck her tongue out at her when they made eye contact, but Darcy was too busy musing something silently to notice.

Fish led Charlotte and Liz to a big black pickup truck parked in the "servant's garage." The truck itself was clean enough, but Liz could see dirt caked in the tires and mud splatters in the space above the wheels.

"This is yours?" Liz raised an eyebrow. "I never really took you for the . . . _truck_ type."

"Oh, it's not mine."

"Whose is it then?"

"I'm not taking my truck, Fish."

Liz spun around, staring at Darcy. But. . . he _couldn't_ have been the person who just spoke. If Fish wasn't the truck type, Darcy _certainly_ wasn't.

"You're not?"

Darcy shook his head. "It would be too conspicuous in the middle of town. We can take the hybrid."

"Now _that_ sounds like the kind of car Fish would have," Liz stated.

"You're right," he grinned. "The hybrid is mine. But I'm guessing Darcy will want to drive it. . ."

"You drive," Darcy said, cutting in. "I'll bet you already have a place figured out."

"Now that you mention it. . ." Fish drifted off, grinning. He pulled a pair of keys out of his pocket, showing just how much he'd really hoped he was driving.

"Shotgun!" Annie yelled.

They made their way out of the garage to a second garage, where a small silver car was parked. Annie ran to the front seat before anyone could argue her claim on the seat. Darcy got in the back on one side, and Charlotte stood expectantly at the other side.

"You're the tiniest. You get the middle."

Liz glared at her friend, but she couldn't really argue. She was probably the only person there who would fit somewhat comfortable into the tiny middle seat. She slid in, trying to ignore Darcy's proximity as she searched for her seatbelt.

Everyone was in and buckled in seconds. . . everyone except Liz. "Where is that blasted seatbelt?" she muttered to herself.

Against her better judgment, she turned towards Darcy, where she caught sight of the belt, making her suck in her breath. "You're sitting on it."

"Oh, sorry," he said, getting into that awkward semi-stand, semi-sit position typically used when it's impossible to fully stand inside a small car. Sure enough, the _blasted_ seatbelt was right underneath him.

"Just. . . give me a second," she mumbled, reaching under him without thinking. She snatched her seatbelt just in time to realize (with a jolt) that her arm was brushing against his butt.

"Shit!" She yanked her arm back, almost clocking Charlotte with the actual buckle. "Sorry!" she stammered. "I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," Darcy said brusquely, looking out the window.

Blushing in shame, Liz buckled up and sank as low as she could in her seat. Charlotte literally laughed out loud, making Liz mutter, "Traitor."

Annie turned around to see what was going on, and—at the looks on Liz's, Charlotte's, and Darcy's faces—also began laughing. Fish slapped Annie, stating, "You're distracting me. I can't be distracted when I'm driving."

"Sorry," Annie grumbled, flipping around and slouching like a pouting child.

Liz stared stubbornly out the front window, ignoring both Annie's and Charlotte's attempts at conversation. Finally, Fish parked. Liz looked around with surprise. Yeah, she'd been looking out the window, but it's not like she was paying attention or anything.

"All right so this is a cool little café I found when I was visiting Annie once. I liked it so much that I came back almost every night I could since."

"So that's where you've been disappearing to every time you visit," Annie muttered darkly, making Fish slap her lightly before continuing.

"I've never brought anyone else here, but I thought it would be fun. Open mike is tonight, and their open mikes are _epic_," he finished, bouncing in his seat.

"So they have open mikes on Tuesday?" Liz asked, thinking to herself that it was a kinda random day. Why not the weekend?

Fish nodded, getting out of the car. Everyone else followed. "Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's great because you don't really think of making plans on a weeknight, you know? That way you're totally free to come to open mike. A couple of local artists have gotten really popular this way!"

"Really?" Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "Why doesn't _everyone_ come then?"

"Local secret," Fish grinned. "Shh."

"Why don't I know about it?" Annie crossed her arms.

"Because, my dear, _you_ haven't left the house since age eleven!"

"Hmph," Annie frowned, glaring at him, but all he gave her was a smirk. She followed him out of the hybrid, onto the sidewalk.

Darcy slid out of the car, unfolding his long legs onto the pavement. Ever the gentleman, he held the door open for Liz. She offered a grudging "Thanks," as she passed him.

In front of them was a small brick building with "The Usual Place" on a plain, undecorated sign. Liz turned and raised an eyebrow at Fish, who grinned. "Clever, isn't it?

Charlotte joined them in front of the café. "I like it." she said, very matter-of-factly.

"Well, it's settled then!" Liz burst out, only slightly sarcastic. At Charlotte's look, she smiled sweetly. "Let's go in."

Fish hooked his arms through Charlotte's and Liz's. "Come along, ladies!"

The inside of the café was much cozier than the outside, with plush blue and brown chairs and ottomans spread out around a room lit mostly by white Christmas lights strung out across the ceiling.

There was a coffee bar lining part of one wall, and a stage in front of another, where a boy with spiky blond hair was setting up a microphone stand. A sign above the stage read, "Aaron Criss," and Liz assumed that was the name of the blond guy.

"Want me to buy you a drink?" Fish asked his two dates.

"Chai tea, if they have any," Liz answered.

"Make that two!" Charlotte added.

Fish nodded and left them to get their drinks. Liz and Charlotte collapsed into two empty chairs towards the back of the room. The room was surprisingly full: mostly people in their teens and twenties.

"Is he really going to pay for us?" Charlotte hissed at Liz.

"I sure hope so, 'cause I didn't bring any money!"

At Charlotte's glare, she laughed. "Relax. We can buy him a muffin or something later to pay him back."

Annie sat on the wide arm of Liz's chair. "This place is really cool," she breathed, ignoring the previous conversation. "I wonder if that Aaron guy is any good," she added, nodding her head towards the stage.

Liz scooted over to make room for Annie. The chair was big enough that both of them fit, albeit snugly. "I dunno," she mused, tilting her head. "The hair makes me wanna say no. . ."

Annie giggled, slapping her leg. "Don't be so judgmental! That's _my _thing."

"You don't seem very judgmental to me," Charlotte pointed out.

"Not very good at your own thing, are you?" Liz smirked.

"Oh hush," Annie huffed.

"Hey guys," the blond boy on stage said into the mike, sitting on a stool with an acoustic guitar in his lap. "For those of you who can't read, my name is Aaron Criss. This is my first time here so, please, be gentle," he winked charmingly. Some girls in the audience tittered. "This first song is called The Starfish Song."

The song opened up with some folksy finger-picking, and Liz was instantly riveted. He was actually _good_. And when he opened his mouth to sing, there wasn't a single girl who didn't let out a sigh. Deep and soulful, he sang an unbelievably romantic song about a lost summer love.

"I retract the previous statement regarding his hair," Liz deadpanned.

"He's _beautiful_," Annie sighed, eyes glowing.

Charlotte laughed and rolled her eyes. "You aren't the only one who thinks so!"

Sure enough, every woman in the room was gazing lustily at Aaron Criss. It was like a super small-scale Elvis concert (Or the Beatles. . . Or Justin Bieber).

"Your hot chocolate," Darcy murmured from somewhere behind Liz's and Annie's chair. Both girls jumped.

"Oh, thank you Darce!" Annie smiled. She took the mug from his hands and promptly placed it on the table in front of their chair.

"You're not even going to drink it?"

"Later," Annie waved a hand dismissively. "Right now, it's too hot."

Darcy sighed and settled down in a chair across from the girls. Fish came dancing over, somehow holding three drinks in his two hands.

"Two chai teas por vous!"

"Merci," Liz accepted hers with a grin.

"Beaucoup!" Charlotte added, taking hers.

Unable to find another seat, Fish scooted Annie's drink over a bit and sat on the table. "What did I tell you about the open mikes?" he smirked.

"It's great, Fish. You were totally right."

"See? Being my date ain't half bad!"

Liz chuckled. "No, jellyfish, it sure ain't."

About halfway through Aaron's set, a young woman with vivid red hair in loose curls came walking over. "Fish, hey!"

Everyone looked up in surprise. Fish grinned sheepishly at them. "That's the owner. . . I guess I'm sort of a regular here," he muttered before answering her. "Hey, Ali! Is James here?"

She nodded, her wide mouth stretched in a smile. "He's in the back though, doing business-y stuff for me. Are you playing tonight?"

Liz, Charlotte, Annie, and Darcy all looked at Fish in shock. He _played_ there?

"Nah, not tonight. I'm just here with some friends. Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce everyone! Everyone, this is Ali Finnegan. Ali, this is Charlotte, Liz, Annie, and my cousin, Darcy."

"Nice to meet you!" Ali said warmly. "You guys should definitely come back and see your buddy perform! He's _so_ good."

Fish, blushing, ignored the compliment. "We can come back on Thursday," he suggested.

Ali shook her head. "Thursday is Christmas eve so we're closed. . . but we're going to have a special open mike on New Year's! It's much more exclusive. . . So I guess it's a closed mike? At least a semi-open mike. You see, you'll have to sign up ahead of time and audition but there's no doubt you'd make it," she added, making Fish blush that much more.

Charlotte turned to Liz. "You should do it! _Please?_" As previously mentioned, she always _loved_ any chance when she could get her friend to perform.

"Okay," Liz shrugged with a grin. "Sign me up."

"And you're . . . Liz?"

"Nice memory!"

Ali grinned. "Sweet, I'll just need your phone number. . . and if you want, you can go ahead and schedule your audition now." Ali handed Liz a pad and a pen to write with.

"Sure!" Liz responded as she wrote. "Got time on Monday?"

"Monday works fine," Ali nodded. "Three o'clock?"

Liz handed the notepad back to Ali with a grin. "Perf!"

"Perfect," Ali repeated, chuckling softly.

"I'd like to sign up," a male voice said suddenly. Liz glanced towards the table, but it hadn't been Fish. . . It was the guy sitting in the chair _behind_ Fish.

"Darcy?" Annie asked, mirroring the shock that Liz felt.

He nodded. "Can I audition tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Ali grinned brightly. "Does eleven-thirty work?" She, of course, had no clue how out of character this was for Darcy. It was one thing for Liz to think him as a musician, but it was another thing entirely to see him performing in front of people.

"Eleven-thirty is fine." Darcy received the notepad from Ali, then scribbled down his contact info quickly before returning it with a soft, "thank you."

"No problemo! I gotta scram, but if anyone else wants to sign up feel free to come find me in the "Employee Only" section, all right? Not many people get to go back there. . . I'm trusting you," she turned to Fish. "Don't make me regret it," she winked. "Have a good night, you guys!"

"You too!" Fish replied, blushing when Charlotte, Annie, and Liz all turned their stares his way.

"What?" he asked once Ali was gone.

"You don't like her, do you?" Annie asked stiffly.

"No way," he shook his head. "Her business partner, James? He's her husband."

Annie relaxed slightly, but only Liz had noticed her anxiousness. Could the younger girl have a crush on her cousin's cousin? She pondered the idea. They weren't related by blood, so it wasn't _totally_ icky. . . Liz shrugged to herself. She'd just met these people. Who was she to judge?

"But you know what's even crazier than my friendship with Ali? Darcy signing up for the not-so-open mike!" Fish exclaimed suddenly, eager to direct their attention on someone else.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Annie tilted her head. "You've been shy ever since we were little. Like, seriously shy."

Darcy shrugged and looked away, fidgeting under their scrutiny. "I thought it was a good opportunity."

"I know I told you to put yourself out there, but you didn't have to do this, you know," Liz said softly.

He turned to her, suddenly all too comfortable returning her gaze. "I know. I wanted to."

"If you insist," she replied even softer than before, freezing under his icy eyes.

"Um. . . awkward. . ." Charlotte murmured, her hands forming the shape of a turtle when neither Liz or Darcy spoke for a few tension-charged moments.

"Slap her for me, please," Liz muttered to Annie, who was on the side closest to Charlotte.

Gladly, Annie slapped Charlotte's leg. "From Liz, with love."

"I appreciate it," Charlotte said dryly. "Could you return the favor for me?"

Annie promptly turned and slapped Liz on the leg. "Ow!" she cried exaggeratedly. "Who's side are you on, anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Fish quirked his head as he leaned back and stretched his legs out in front of him. "Whatever side lets her have the most fun."

Darcy nodded in agreement. "She's been that way ever since we were children. Apparently, she never grew up," he added, smirking slightly.

Liz was almost enthralled by this relaxed side of Darcy that came out whenever he was with his cousins. Annie, however, wasn't as pleased. Crawling over Liz (who protested. Loudly), she stretched her arm out so that she was in slapping distance from Darcy. He took his punishment with silence and dignity.

"You're getting a bit out of hand," Fish said menacingly.

"Am not," Annie returned, sticking her tongue out at him.

Before she had a chance to react, Fish shot up and swatted her on the back of the head.

"You've got skills," Liz said, impressed, when he was sitting down again.

"I know," he shrugged, grinning at the scowling redhead. "I'm sorry, Annie, but someone has to put you in your place."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," she muttered, rubbing her head.

"That's fine!" he grinned at her. "Dislike it all you want, but I ain't changing."

Annie rolled her eyes, finally picking up her hot chocolate and taking a sip. "Oh," she muttered, crestfallen. "It's cold."

Darcy sat up abruptly. "Are you telling me you let it sit until now? You didn't touch it at all?"

"No. . ."

Darcy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Really, Annie, that's quite wasteful."

"I'm sorry," she whined, sounding like a petulant child being scolded by her father.

"Give it to me," he said, standing up.

"That's okay, I'll drink it cold!" she said quickly.

He moved in front of her and Liz's chair, holding out his hand and giving her a look that made it impossible for her to fight him. Annie handed him the cup, deflating slightly.

As he walked off to the trashcan, Liz assumed, she turned to Annie and Fish. "Is he always like that?"

Fish shrugged, watching his cousin. "He's never been one to waste money. He's usually pretty thrifty, but I didn't think he would blow up like that."

"He didn't blow up," Annie inexplicably defended him. "He was just frustrated. He hates the way my mom throws away money and he doesn't want me to turn out like that. He's the same with Georgie."

Liz, still bemused, decided her explanation seemed to fit. It was strange to think of the proud, arrogant man not wanting to flaunt his money, but she supposed that would be improper of him. And Darcy was nothing if not proper.

After a certain time passed and Darcy still hadn't returned, Liz turned around to look for him. He was nowhere to be seen! She glanced at the counter and in the corner where the bathrooms were, but she didn't see Darcy. She glanced around a moment longer, and saw him coming through a door marked, 'Employees Only.'

He handed Annie her cup back. "I heated it up for you." Everyone stared at him in surprise. "I went in the back, and Ali said there was a microwave in the lounge, so I put it in there for a minute or so. Oh," he turned to Fish. "I signed you up for an audition tomorrow as well. It's right after mine, so we can carpool. Ali said that if that didn't work for you to call her."

"No," Fish said slowly, shaking his head. "That's fine. Thanks, I'd totally forgotten."

Darcy looked back at Annie, who had been too surprised to even take a sip. "Well? How is it?"

Jolted awake, Annie looked down and hesitantly drank some of it. Her eyes lit up, and landed on Darcy's. "It's perfect," she grinned.

"Good," he nodded with a slight smile, sitting back in his seat.

Liz, in her surprise, couldn't take her eyes off of him. The hissy fit had been easier to accept than this nice act for his cousin. The hissy fit, she almost would've expected from him. But this? A good deed? Impossible! She couldn't imagine the awful Darcy ever doing such a thing.

Maybe she owed Jane an apology after all these years. She'd always insisted that Jane was _too_ nice, that she needed to be a little less accepting, but maybe the opposite was true.

Maybe Liz was too _mean_.

* * *

**Ohmigod:** I am muy, muy, _muy_ sorry (I don't know how to say sorry in Spanish) for not writing for months and months on end! For some reason, I had a writer's block the size of Alaska for this one, and only just now felt the urge to write more. I've gone so long without writing for fun (school this year is full of stressful essays, which has totally cramped my creativity) that I'm afraid this isn't any good! Or, at least it isn't as good as past ones. If anyone seems out of character, I apologize for that too. I've been away from these people for so long, I _thought_ I remembered what they were like, but I might have gotten it wrong. I hope I didn't.

Again, sorry. Please forgive me.


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